The Marlinspike Lass
by Ladon's Breath
Summary: Kat Vusan finds herself in DMC with no idea how she got there. Though she manages to hide her modern origins someone wants to know exactly what her secret is. But until he finds her she'll just stay with James. Eventual BeckettOC or NorringtonOC pairing.
1. Chapter 1: A Whole New World

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Pirate's of the Caribbean or any of its characters. All I own are the plot bunnies nesting in my head and Kat.

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**Author's Note:** This is the first fanfic I've posted and I'd greatly appreciate some feedback. Also I have no beta for this story so any mistakes are my own and I'd be happy to have them corrected if you'd inform me. Flames will be disregarded.

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"See you tomorrow Kat!" shouted a group of oddly dressed teens.

"Yeah guys! And good luck to ye in yer piratin' ways!" the addressed girl yelled back with a grin and a wave. Kat chuckled as the laughs and agreements of her friends faded into the night. They'd all been in Alan, another friend's, short play. The piece had been chosen as one of the 'one-acts' for the spring theater season and though she was not normally an actor Kat couldn't resist auditioning for Alan's play, _The Marlinspike Pirates_. It had been based on a fictional group of pirates she and Alan had created a while ago. Since Kat and her friends all portrayed these pirates regularly most of the actor's in the play had been her friends which explained the bizarre outfits. Their costumes had come from their closets since they were avid pirate fans.

Kat looked down at her outfit. She wore a tight black t-shirt with the East India Trading Company insignia emblazoned on the front and the skull and crossbones on the back. Tan, worn breeches and muddy black boots also made up part of the outfit. Along with these a loose, blousy white shirt and a dusty wine-colored vest hung open atop the tee. But Kat's favorite piece was the jacket which she'd designed herself. Modeled after a Royal Navy frock coat, it was a deep midnight blue and hung just below her knees. A silver ankh adorned its back and various silver accouterments accompanied it. The final touch came from the ruffled, cream-colored material that hung at the hem of the coat and out of the sleeves. Overall it was rather spectacular in her humble opinion, but in any case it was nothing like the clothing in stores today.

Sudden shouts of surprise stirred Kat from her musings on fashion. She hadn't even been watching where she'd been going and now she had no idea where she was. A dirt path stretched before her leading to some street from which the sounds of music, shouting, and laughing could be heard. The alley was not quite as life-like since it was littered with unconscious, dirty men, abandoned glass bottles, and piles of junk.

"Where am I?" Kat whispered to herself. She glanced down at a man by her side who swiftly grabbed her at her coat.

"Do you have any rum?" he asked pleadingly with a half-crazed half-drunk look in his eyes. The man noticed her shirt and recoiled dropping the handful of cloth in the process. "You're-- you're one of them," he muttered before scrambling away down the alley.

Kat watched him go with a bemused stare. "What's he afraid of?" she thought, but once she looked down at herself she thought she knew. "The East India Trading Company?" Kat asked, "But who fears them nowadays?" No matter what the reason she grabbed the corners of her blouse and tucked them in on opposite sides. This caused one half of the shirt of cross over the other hiding the recognizable symbol on her chest.

BANG! A gunshot rang out into the night catching Kat's attention. It had come from a nearby tavern, _The Salted Frog_. The teen walked in to find the place in complete turmoil. Of course the band was playing a jaunty jig while patrons nearby fought amongst themselves. Their outfits were absurd by current standards, but they fit right in with Kat's dress. In fact the whole place looked to be straight out of _Pirates of the Caribbean_! She looked over to the stairs and noticed a man she easily recognized.

"It can't be! Captain Jack Sparrow?" she questioned aloud. Kat weaved her way through the crowd of what she assumed were pirates to follow the Captain and Gibbs. She snatched the first hat Jack returned and pressed it upon her head. Though her dark brown curls were already tied back the hat could only help to hide her gender. A few stolen belts and rings later and Kat was feeling quite piratey. Jack and Gibbs continued and so did Kat until Norrington shouted his challenge to all. She glanced down at the poor man and watched as Elizabeth broke his liquor bottle over his head.

"This can't happen," she whispered, "'Tis impossible for me to be here! It's fictional for God's sake!" But somehow it was all too real. The stench of unwashed men and alcohol overwhelmed her nostrils and the sharp sounds of metal grating on metal and breaking glass were too true to be from a dream. It seemed impossible to accept, but at the moment no other solution seemed possible. Kat had to assume it: for now she was living in the middle of _Dead Man's Chest_.

"Suppose I ought to live it up," she thought and she grabbed the back of Jack's coat. "Captain Jack Sparrow?" she inquired.

He turned and looked at the 'lad' behind him. "Do I owe you money boy?" he asked.

"No, I'd like to join your crew," she replied.

Jack glanced at Gibbs who shrugged his shoulders. "Alright boy, follow me!" said Jack with a flourish. "Now what's you name lad?"

"Katherine Vusan," she replied before cursing herself with the most colorful words in her vocabulary.

"A young lady?" asked Gibbs curiously. Jack pushed Kat's new hat off her head and examined her features.

"My, my you're right Mr. Gibbs!" said the Captain, "Now Katherine what would you want to do with a pair of nasty pirates such as ourselves?" He leant close to the teen and brushed the back of one hand against her cheek.

Kat looked the pirate right in the eyes and said, "It's Kat, Jack, and I want to sail." She stepped closer to Jack which caused his hand to slide backwards over her ear and into her hair. "Will you be havin' me Captain?" she asked with a determined stare.

"I believe I will," replied Jack with a mischievous grin.

"But Cap'n havin' a woman on a ship—" said Gibbs.

"Is bad luck," finished Jack, "We've had this conversation before and besides Kat doesn't look too unlucky to me. Savvy?"

"Yes sir," replied the crewman with an apologetic shrug toward Kat. She smiled at him to let him know that she took no offense and he returned the grin.

"Now that that's settled," said Jack clapping his hands together, "Time for rum!"

"Aye-aye Cap'n!" said Gibbs enthusiastically. The two crew members followed Jack through the tavern. Their captain grabbed a green glass bottle of liquor from a sleeping man.

"To the sea!" toasted Jack with a jaunty grin and a mouthful of rum. He handed the bottle to Gibbs who also drank to the capricious lady. Then, Kat found herself standing with a bottle of rum in her hand.

"I shouldn't drink it…" she thought, "It is illegal after all. Or is it?" She was back in a time where all men, old or young, drank alcohol. Kat recalled having rum before. Sam, one of her good friends, had come across a bottle of it in his parents' liquor cabinet. Of course he'd brought it immediately to their meeting of 'pirates'.

"The meeting of the Marlinspike Pirates has now convened," shouted Alan at eight other 'pirates'. "Captain Kat O' Nine Tails will now speak."

"Thank ye, Mr. Cand and now to business!" Kat had said. "Firstly does anyone have some urgent news?"

"Aye Cap'n!" said Sam. He'd held up a squat amber bottle and announced, "I've found us some rum me hearties!" The other Marlinspikes murmured to each other for a bit before Sam spoke again. "'Tis true. I thought we all might appreciate a sip." The group members glanced at each other and nodded. 'Twas time for rum. They'd all passed it around until an empty bottle lay atop the leaves covering the forest floor.

"Kat?" asked a voice.

"Hmmm?" she glanced up to see Gibbs staring into her face. "Oh sorry just got lost in a memory," she said. A mouthful of rum made its way down her throat with the words, "To the sea." She'd decided to completely immerse herself into the Caribbean.


	2. Chapter 2: Becoming a Pirate

**Author's Note:** Here's chapter two for you all. I hope you find the story enjoyable. Just thought I'd let you know that I'll update every Monday. As always reviews are appreciated.

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The trio left _The Salted Frog_ after a few more swallows of rum. Kat vowed to keep herself sober, but this was soon becoming difficult to do. At every street corner men stood toasting to one another while inviting those nearby to join in. It seemed that a liquor bottle was a necessary accessory for any pirate.

"Havin' another Kat?" asked Gibbs. He was holding out an offering of drink, but Kat declined. "Your loss," replied the first mate and he wandered away with his bottle. Kat sighed and shook her head.

"Such drunkards," she muttered. The teen looked up to see that Jack and Gibbs had left her behind, but she wasn't worried. Kat was fairly certain that she could find her way to the docks. Instead she wandered throughout the streets. "Perhaps I ought to find myself some weapons… For self defense of course," she thought while secretly knowing that it was mostly her desire to feel more like a pirate that drove her to do the following. Luckily the belts she'd taken were already equipped with the necessary loops for a pistol and cutlass which meant all Kat needed was a victim. She noticed a dark-haired man stumbling about who was obviously alone and very drunk. His sword also seemed to be just what she needed.

Kat approached and with a suggestive wink she wrapped one arm around the fellow's waist. "'Ello darlin'," she said while reaching for the sword's hilt. "Got any rum on ye?"

"Hello," the pirate replied with a slur. He seemed to have completely missed her question which was just as well since Kat didn't want any more alcohol. His swaying steps made it difficult for her to get a grip on the cutlass.

"Why don't you come along with me?" he asked with a lecherous smirk. Kat's eyes widened and she felt the hilt within her grasp. There was no way she going with him, but she did have some appreciation for the pirate's contribution to her cause.

"No thank you, but you have my gratitude," she replied while pulling the cutlass from its roost. She heard some sort of mumbling that she took as a 'your welcome' before she ran out of range. Kat chuckled at how easy it'd been to take the cutlass which was a rather fine specimen if she did say so herself. Kat slid it into the loop on her belt and went looking for a pistol next. This task would be a bit more difficult since gunshots rang out at every turn. Sure she could get an empty gun, but that would be of little use until she found some shot and powder which Kat figured she couldn't get until she boarded the Pearl.

A few attempts went by the way and Kat had only gotten her hands on unloaded pieces. At the moment her favorite was pressing against her hip, but she was still on the look out for a useful pistol. By now she was a bit discouraged and her morals had caught up with her. "Never pinned myself as a thief," thought Kat with a bit of guilt. She justified her actions in the next few minutes by thinking, "But if I'm living with pirates I may as well act like one."

"What's a pretty little thing like you doin' with something like this?" whispered a voice in her ear. Kat jumped at the sharp words and fearfully glanced downward. A black-gloved hand clamped her arm firmly to her side while another held her new pistol.

"Oh shit," Kat whispered hardly daring to look behind her. This was certainly a bad situation. She was in a half-lit alley at the mercy of a stranger with little chance of getting away. As soon as Kat saw her captor's face she relaxed slightly. "Only Mercer," she thought. Somehow that idea was comforting. At least she could be fairly certain that her death would be swift if it came.

"Now what are you doin' wand'rin' about with Jack Sparrow?" said Mercer.

"I'm part of his crew now," Kat replied icily with a slight glare at the man.

"Oh are ye now?" he asked rhetorically. "A female pirate, eh? Well you ought to learn to tread more carefully." He pushed her against a nearby building and loaded the pistol as she stumbled. "You're feminine wiles won't get you everything you know and the men won't appreciate it," he critiqued with a sneer as he cocked the gun.

"I know," Kat replied with a defensive glare at Beckett's man. She hated being vulnerable, but that was her current state. The teen didn't want to die, but she had no choice in the matter. A shot rang out and Kat opened her eyes. A sharp pain erupted in her upper right arm. She clamped her left hand over top of the wound and stared in shock at Mercer.

"Learn from your mistakes. Teach yourself to fight and steal like a man or die from your broken promises," he said cryptically. Then he smirked at her and said, "Unless you die from that pathetic injury first." Beckett's man strode away into the night with a pair of brown eyes watching him go. Kat found it hard to believe that Mercer had first approached her and then let her live, but she'd take what she could get. Her pistol lay near her feet and when Kat picked it up it was loaded.

"Thanks Mercer," she whispered after him and she vowed to do as he'd said. "But first let's take care of this," Kat thought while looking at her wound. She slid her gun into her belt with her left hand and then pressed upon her bloody shirt. Her coat had slipped off when she fell and now Kat scooped it up with her right hand and walked carefully to the docks. Luckily the bullet had only grazed her arm, but it still hurt like hell and there was a bloodstain blooming upon her sleeve. She reached the docks and boarded the Pearl in hopes of finding at least one sober pirate to help. Kat soon spotted Cotton who was sitting on watch with his telltale parrot at his shoulder.

"'Scuse me," she shouted at the mute. "Would ye be so kind as to get me some rum and bandages?" The pirate looked at her and nodded before scurrying off. He came back with another crewman and a pair of pistols.

"No! Don't shoot me," she said while looking at the two frantically. "I'm wounded. See?" She removed her hand from her arm and some bright red droplets fell from her sleeve. The man who's name she did not know whispered something to Cotton who nodded in agreement.

"And how are we supposed to trust you from that?" he asked.

"Well I just joined Jack's crew. That's why I came," replied Kat while quickly losing hope.

"Did you lad?" He asked with evident doubt. It seemed that she was far enough away to be mistaken for a male. "Well we'll toss you some bandages and roll ye some rum, but you'll have to apply things yerself." They did as promised and Kat grabbed the bottle and strips of cloth. She decided to go below the docks to clean the injury and as she walked she muttered about distrustful souls.

Eventually she managed to secure herself an unoccupied area which was rather difficult with all the drunks and whores around. There Kat stripped off her vest and shirt revealing her wound. It didn't look too bad and though it burned as she poured the rum over it she knew it was a good idea. Kat then wrapped the bandages as neatly and tightly as she could using just one hand and tied the ends together.

"This sleeve's stained for life," she said to herself while pulling on her shirt. She put on her vest and coat as well after shaking the sand out of them. Then, the teen made her way back up to the docks to see the crew of the Black Pearl leading the ship. "Off we go I suppose, but first…" Kat thought as she spotted Jack and Gibbs. She recalled what would happen soon as she walked closer to the pair of men.

"Kat!" shouted Jack with a grin. "We'd been missin' ye."

"Sure you have Jack," Kat replied with a roll of the eyes. Gibbs gave her a friendly clap on the arm and she winced. "D'you mind?" she asked while carefully removing the pirate's hand.

"Hurt yourself already?" asked the first mate. Kat nodded and pulled her coat aside to reveal the bloody sleeve.

"Gunshot wound," she explained shortly. "It only grazed my arm so I'll be alright."

"You ought to get that treated," he replied with a little concern in his voice.

"Oh I took care of it," she said with a smile. "Don't worry about me. It'll be just fine." Her grin broke as she pulled her jacket back over her arm. Gibbs looked at her with a slight crease in his brow, but he let it go. Kat really wasn't worried. Anyway the pain had reduced to a dull throb by now, annoying, but not worth fretting over.

By now the three of them had almost reached the end of the dock and Kat heard the telltale 'Captain Sparrow'. She looked over at Jack's face and had to stifle a giggle at his expression when Elizabeth mentioned the man she loved. After this comic scene Kat lost interest in the conversation. She'd heard it many times before and could probably recite bits of it if she had to. Instead of paying attention she leaned against the railing opposite of Norrington and watched his back as he vomited over the side several times.

She loved Norrington in his pirate state. It was her personal preference to have him without the wig and with the added cynicism. She smirked at the thought of seeing him tomorrow with his shirt half-open and his natural hair blowing in the wind. When he made his remark of disbelief at Davy Jones's existence Kat smiled at how wrong he was. She watched Pintel and Ragetti with their load as they approached and spoke. It was so strange to be standing right in the midst of this scene. Who would've thought it was even possible?

Norrington now approached her side of the railing since he'd given up on Elizabeth's ability to see through Jack's schemes. Kat pushed the loose strands of his wig back out of his face as he leant over the side.

"Thank you," he said in his deliciously deep voice once he'd finished. The former commodore looked up at Kat and quickly stood to give her a slight bow. "Sorry about that. A lady should never be subjected to tasteless actions such as mine."

Kat paused for a bit before replying nervously, "Oh it's no problem. That's more courtesy than I've gotten all night." She smiled at the handsome pirate and he smiled back.

"What d'you mean by that?" asked Jack as he turned toward her. Evidently he'd finished giving orders to the men which one could guess from their frantic scurrying.

"With your greeting to Elizabeth I would assume she's correct," said Norrington with a somewhat condescending tone. Kat liked the fact that he'd just stood up for her, but it wasn't Jack she'd been thinking of. The incident with Mercer was what lay on her mind.

"But you didn't do much better, Norrington," replied Jack. "Unless that's the Naval greeting for a lady." He looked contemplative as if he was seriously considering it.

"At least I've apologized," the former commodore shot back.

"Who's to say I haven't?"

"I'll claim that," interjected Kat.

Jack turned to her with a raised brow. "Do I need to?" he asked.

"No, but since you haven't I thought I set the record straight," she replied. He sighed and turned to board the Pearl while shouting for some rum. Kat shook her head and laughed at his seemingly one track mind.

"I don't know how he keeps it all down," commented Norrington.

"'Tis a mystery to us all," said Kat ruefully. The two of them only got a minute to ponder this before a goat was thrust into the former commodore's arms.

"Thanks so much," he said sarcastically with a roll of the eyes. Kat smiled at his comment and watched him walk off. With him around it seemed that this would be an enjoyable journey.


	3. Chapter 3: Training

**Author's Note:** Sorry for releasing this one so late, but I had a hard time writing it and then I had to type it out, too. Hope it's as enjoyable as the others (and that they're actually enjoyable). With luck I'll have the next one out on time before 9:45. Please review so I may improve for the benefit of both of us.

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"Up with ye Kat!" shouted a voice.

"Five more minutes mum," replied Kat sleepily as she snuggled into her blanket.

"I'm not yer mother."

Kat cracked an eye open to the dirty face of Mr. Gibbs. "Ack!" she screeched in shock while attempting to scramble away. The motions only resulted in a nasty fall to the floor. Hammocks were not as resistant to movement as modern beds. Kat rubbed the back of her head and looked up bleary eyed at the first mate.

"Sorry about that," said Gibbs as he offered her a hand.

Kat stared bewildered at her surroundings. "Where the h—" she said before stopping herself. The events of the previous night rushed back to her. "I guess this isn't a dream," she thought while taking up Gibbs' offer of help. The teen was pulled to her feet and she thanked the crewman before going to search out some breakfast. During this quest Kat thought about her situation. She had little belief in the fact that this could be a dream, but she had no idea how she'd gotten here. She pondered various scenarios, but nothing made sense. She noticed a few men gnawing at some meat and bread so she decided to abandon her train of thought in favor of food. Kat asked where she might grab something for herself and they pointed her down a set of stairs where barrels of what she assumed was salt pork and crates of bread sat. She made herself a sandwich of sorts and poured herself a water.

"I'd add rum to that if I were you," said a man behind her. She ignored him and took a sip of it. It ended up spewed out of her mouth all over the floor. She coughed and the man slapped her on the back a few times. "I warned ye. Water's no good on ship, so have a grog." He poured a small amount of rum into her half-filled glass and swirled it for her. "That ought to be better and now it's safe." Kat drank of the watered down alcohol and found that the liquid was no longer undrinkable. Besides that he was right; now it was sanitary. Kat gave her rescuer a smile of thanks and introduced herself.

"I'm Kat. I'm a bit new if you hadn't guessed."

"Aye, I figured as such. I'm Matthew, experienced pirate." He gave her a grin and walked up to the deck with a motion for her to follow. He sat near the bow and Kat settled nearby. She attempted to take a bite of her breakfast, but found the pork to be tougher than she'd figured.

"Got a dagger?" asked Matthew. She shook her head and he handed her his. "It's easier to cut it, not much, but it's worth a try."

"Thanks," she muttered before trying to slice the meat. After struggling against the grain for a minute she found that cutting along the fibers was easier. She chopped the pork into strips and chewed it thoroughly with frequent sips of grog and bites of bread. "Not bad," Kat said. It wasn't what she was used to, but she was hungry and the meal was satisfying.

"I see you've found 'er!" said Mr. Gibbs as he walked toward the pair.

"Aye, it wasn't too difficult," replied Matthew.

"You told him to find me?" asked Kat indignantly.

"Face it. You need a mentor lass. There's no way you've lived on a pirate ship before. Let alone sailed," said Matthew.

"Perhaps, but how'd you know Gibbs?" she asked defensively.

"Yer a woman and yer not sea battered to the least degree," replied the first mate calmly.

"Just because I'm a girl," muttered Kat as she finished her breakfast. The last of her grog poured down her throat and she scowled.

"Now don't you worry your pretty face. I'll just be around today to show you the ropes and if you don't learn fast enough you won't be survivin'," said Matthew in an attempt to cheer her up. He gripped her right arm and gave her a friendly grin. Kat smiled back, but was reminded of her injury.

"Excuse me sirs, but I'd like to treat my wound. Where might I find some bandages?" she asked. Matthew led her to a boxful of cloth strips and he handed her a bottle of rum.

"Sure you don't need help?" he teased. Kat gave him a glare, but it softened when she saw that he was just trying to bother her. She shooed him away and found an empty corner below decks. She was taking care of her arm like the night before when she realized that she should probably remove her t-shirt. Luckily Kat had sewn a large pocket into the inner lining of her coat so the folded shirt fit neatly within it. She was wearing only a corset when she heard footsteps.

"Matthew told me to bring you a new shirt," rang out a masculine voice.

Kat swore mentally as she pulled her old shirt around herself as quickly as possible, but she only managed to cover the left half of her torso. She then turned to see James Norrington carrying a white blouse for her.

"Oh, um, sorry," he murmured while averting his eyes from her. Kat noticed the slight blush that was just barely visible beneath his dark tan. She took the shirt from him as he turned to go, but she stopped him by grabbing the back of his coat.

"Wait," she said quietly. He paused and made a half turn toward her. His face expressed his confusion clearly. "I just wondered if you'd tie my bandages for me since it's rather difficult to do with one hand," she said nervously.

"Oh, sure," said the former commodore and he faced her. He gently untied the old bandages and poured the rum over her arm. Kat shivered at the sudden cold sensation. She noted that Norrington was staring resolutely at her wound. This sign of his proper upbringing caused Kat to smile inwardly, but it also bothered her. When the man finished tying the fabric to her arm Kat slid the new shirt over her head.

"Thanks for that. Seems I've been needing a lot of help lately," she said.

"Just a simple courtesy Miss…" He paused at her name. "I don't believe we've introduced ourselves. That's terribly rude of me. I'm James Norrington."

"Kat Vusan," replied the teen.

"Kat! You finished yet?" Matthew's shouts drifted to their ears causing both of them to start.

"Yeah! I'm coming," Kat shouted back. She didn't want to go, but she had little choice. So she gave Norrington an apologetic smiled and said, "I'll see you later James."

"James?" he questioned. "Miss Vusan I don't know if we know each other well

enough—"

"It's Kat, James, no matter how well we know each other," she interrupted and she left. James remained where he stood dumbfounded at her forward actions.

"Not even Mr. Norrington?" he thought. The man shook his head, but found himself smiling a little. "She's something different, but not a bad different," thought Norrington, "Rather like Elizabeth." This sobered the man as he ascended to the deck to start on his tasks.

Matthew was walking about the decks with Kat following him devotedly. He pointed out various parts of the ship and named them after which Kat repeated the term. She completely dedicated herself to remembering everything she was being taught. Especially since Matthew had told her that her life may just depend on her ability to recall what she learned. After an hour or so of touring the Pearl her mentor began showing her the various processes necessary on the ship such as loading the guns, adjusting the sails, climbing the rigging, and other important tasks. By the end of the day Kat was completely exhausted and her mind was brimming with information.

"Finally you need to know how to fight," said Matthew while Kat stared wearily at him.

"Now? But we've done so much already!" she protested. Her mentor shook his head and gave her a look that told her he was serious. "Fine," she said even though her hammock was looking pretty good right about now.

"Good. So I see you've already procured a cutlass for yourself. Now all we need is a volunteer!" said Matthew with enthusiasm. "Mr. Norrington, would you be so kind as to help us?" Norrington looked up from his work and nodded his consent. He readied himself and stood across from Matthew. Kat stayed off to the side as the pair showed her techniques regarding footwork, timing, and various forms of attack and defense. After twenty minutes of this Matthew looked over at his student to tell her to try it out, but Kat was sound asleep against the side of the ship.

"Poor girl, she's completely exhausted," he said with a rueful smirk. "Would you train her tomorrow?" he asked Norrington. "I'm a bit busy and I'm certain you're a better swordsman than I."

"Yes, I'll take care of it," replied the former commodore.

"Then you wouldn't mind taking her to her bunk either," said the other man before slipping away. Norrington was about to protest, but he got no chance to do so. Instead he picked Kat up and made his way to her bed. In her sleep the teen snuggled into his chest enjoying the warmth. Norrington blushed slightly at this, but soon enough the reached her hammock and he placed her into it.

"Goodnight Kat," he whispered as he stepped away.

"Goodnight James," she replied sleepily and she burrowed into her bedding.

---

Cutler Beckett sat in his office reading through the stack of reports on his desk. He was expecting Mercer's return soon so he could get an update from his right hand man before catching a few hours of sleep. It was nearly one A.M and the fellow was ready to drop into bed. The sound of echoing footsteps helped draw him out of his doze and when Beckett looked up Mercer had just entered the room.

"What did you find?" asked the Lord while neatly stacking the papers in front of him.

"A few interesting details," replied Mercer as he closed the door. "Elizabeth Swann has joined Jack Sparrow's crew and is now traveling to unknown destinations on the Pearl. The compass was used to determine their heading so I believe we may safely assume they are after the chest. I took the liberty of sending our ships after them."

"Good, good…" muttered Beckett. This was working out well. "Now we have a lead on the chest and we have something to influence Governor Swann," the Lord said thinking aloud.

"Former commodore James Norrington is sailing with them," added Mercer, "As well as a young lady."

"Another woman? That's a bit odd, but what's so special about her?"

"She's no pirate. Her skin is too pale to be that of a sailor's and she has no calluses on her hands. Neither is her hair roughened by wind and waves nor is she especially skilled in the fighting arts."

"So she's a runaway noble. What do I care?" said Beckett with a shrug.

"She had this," Mercer replied as he placed a silver device on the desk.

"What is it?" asked the Lord in curiosity. He reached out with one hand and turned the object. It was generally smooth with a few buttons and holes on its sides. The material it was created from was unknown to Cutler though some parts looked like metal. Most of it however was made of a hard, shiny, gray substance.

"I don't know sir. 'Tis like nothing I've ever seen. And I've seen quite a bit in my lifetime," Mercer replied.

"Fascinating. I assume you've found it to be harmless," Beckett said while picking up the gadget. It fit comfortably in his palm and he found that if you pushed one of the buttons a square on its front lit up. Strange symbols showed on the lighted area along with some numbers and a picture.

"Yes, sir. Also it unfolds." Mercer flipped the object open and a larger rectangle lit up. Even more symbols were on this screen as well as a familiar insignia.

"The East India Trading Company flag? But why would it be on this? This isn't one of our goods." He noted the numbers and letters on a grid of buttons below the screen. These were also lighted and when one was pushed the corresponding number appeared on the screen. "And this was on her person"

"In one of her pockets, sir," replied Mercer succinctly.

"Watch her. If she had this what else might she withhold?" commanded Beckett. His right hand man nodded in agreement and left the Lord to his own devices. Beckett continued to fiddle with the object, but he could find no clue as to what it was. Eventually he gave up for the night and stuck it beneath the documents in the chest on his desk.

"Until tomorrow," he whispered while blowing out the single candle in the room.


	4. Chapter 4: Questions for James

**Author's Note:** Sorry about how late I released this one, but I was working down to the last minute and I still don't like it much. There's been a lot on my plate lately and I just haven't found the time (or inspiration) to write. Hopefully the next chapter won't be so difficult and I'll get it out earlier in the evening. Constructive criticism is always welcome!

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Kat yawned loudly. Being woken before the sun rose did not make her particularly well rested or, for that matter, happy, but she supposed that her lesson may as well be early. Otherwise her exhaustion would probably render her useless. Living on a ship was more work than she'd anticipated, but Kat had no doubt that she could survive. The only issue was that she had several extra things to do as a green recruit. It was only seven A.M. and she was feeling a bit apathetic, but that was probably the lazy bum in her coming through. At the moment she was trying to figure out what time it was, but with all the action, and having Norrington to teach her, Kat had other things to pay attention to. 

"That ought to be good for today," said James as he sheathed his sword. He smirked before adding, "Especially since you seem so distracted. What are you thinking about?"

The girl blushed slightly both from his attention and the rather dirty ideas she'd been entertaining. "Nothing important," she replied trying to sound like that was the truth.

"Sounds like something to me," he said as his smirk spread into a grin. "C'mon I won't laugh." The former commodore watched her closely in hopes of catching some sign of her attentions.

"That's not what I'm concerned with," she thought as she judged what his reaction would be to the truth. He was a rather proper man and though she had little doubt he'd heard worse she didn't want to risk her standing in his eyes.

Norrington watched this conflict through her expression until finally a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. "Well?" he asked. Kat motioned for him to lean closer until her lips were right next to his ear. He could feel her breath against his neck as the hairs stood up there.

"You, James," she whispered as he answer before moving away from him. The man watched her in silence as if waiting for her to go on. "What?" she asked.

"What were you thinking about me?" he replied using yet another question. Kat paused. She'd expected this inquiry. She'd planned to leave before it came. Instead she found herself frozen, unable to move. After spending a few seconds trying to walk and cursing herself she turned her thoughts to more productive matters.

"I…" she began, "Just realized that I don't know much about you." A mental sigh of relief came over her and Kat relaxed. James however did not completely believe this lie. She had no reason to be so nervous about telling him that. Nonetheless he accepted her statement so as not to cause her more embarrassment.

"I don't know much about you either," said Norrington. "So how shall we remedy this issue?"

"I've got an idea," Kat replied. "We'll take turns asking each other questions, but whatever you ask you must answer yourself." The man nodded his assent and allowed her to ask first. The teen thought for a minute before posing her query. "What were you before you became a pirate? I was just a poor merchant's daughter."

Norrington told her of his navy days and then asked about her childhood. Kat replied as honestly as possible without revealing her true time period. That made some modifications necessary, but she didn't find it too difficult to alter her stories. James also seemed to reply truthfully and the pair continued this game of sorts throughout the day. The questions varied from the inconsequential "What's you favorite color?" to the serious "What's you greatest fear?"

For Kat this game's advantages were twofold. First, it made it much easier for her if she accidentally slipped a detail about him into conversation as she had an excuse for where it had come from. But more interesting to her was learning about Norrington. There were many things he told her that were not revealed in the movies and their counterparts which made this even more appealing.

James was also enjoying the interview. Kat was rather independent for a woman and she definitely considered herself as capable if not more so as any man. From what he'd seen this was a result of not pride, but a firm belief in the fairer sex. Because of this Kat was unlike most women he'd met. In fact he could only think of one that was even remotely comparable: Elizabeth. Norrington was quite certain that he was over the girl and along with his crush he had lost his faith in the evils of pirates and the good of the Royal Navy. Now he saw Kat as a new beginning, someone he could share the struggle of finding his place once again with, especially since the teen seemed as unsure of her status as he did. And learning about her looked to be a good way to start.

"What's your favorite drink?" Kat asked him. "Mine's tea with plenty of milk and sugar."

"Hmmm… I prefer a glass of good brandy," replied James.

"Never had brandy," she said thoughtfully while tangling a few ropes into a complicated mess. She was supposed to be practicing her knot tying skills, but most of her attention was on Norrington so her work was suffering.

"What about rum?" came a voice from behind her. Kat turned to see Matthew walking toward them. He paused to stare at the disorderly cords in her lap. "Is that supposed to be a knot?"

"Well…" The teen thought about it for a second before saying, "No, it's art!"

"Sure," he replied with obvious sarcasm, but he let it go in favor of his beloved liquor. "How could you prefer brandy over rum, man? Rum is the best of the best!"

"I disagree. I prefer something with a little more—" James paused to think. "Class."

"How could you say rum isn't classy? It's the preferred drink of all the pirate nobles," argued Matthew.

"Note the word pirate. That immediately implies the opposite of class."

"You just don't understand the finer qualities of alcohol."

"I think I understand quite well enough," replied James indignantly.

During this exchange Kat began untying the ropes with stifled laughter. Neither of the pair would back down and the arguments continued to get sillier and sillier. Eventually Matthew said that rum bottles were prettier and then James countered that the glasses used for brandy were better looking.

"Well we just drink our rum right out of our pretty bottles!" replied Matthew.

"But that means you're even less classy!" Norrington countered.

The two men looked like little children arguing over a silly matter which in a way they were. Kat couldn't believe that James was actually doing this. It just seemed so unlike him. She secretly knew that she also would be having a stupid argument if she cared about this to the least degree, but even so she felt like Norrington would be a bit more mature. "I guess there's a kid in all of us," she thought as she put down the freshly coiled rope. "Okay guys break it up," she told the two men, but neither of them heard her. She let out a frustrated puff of air before shouting at them in a louder tone.

Both men glanced over at Kat in surprise. They became abruptly quiet and both looked a bit embarrassed.

"Sheesh!" she exclaimed. "I never expected that out of you James or you Matthew for that matter." Norrington glanced over at his adversary and realized how silly they'd been. A sudden bout of laughter burst from his throat and rang out over the sea. Matthew also began to laugh and soon Kat joined in as well. The trio continued to release their amusement to the air until a confused Gibbs walked over.

"What exactly is going on?" he asked curiously. The three pirates just looked at one another and ended up laughing again. Eventually Norrington managed to get himself under control to reply to the first mate.

"Sorry. Matthew and I just had a rather silly and immature argument and it just caused us all to laugh once we realized how stupid we were." He pressed one hand over his mouth to keep himself from chuckling again. It was only funny because they had been there and so Gibbs was completely lost.

"Long as you all aren't going crazy on me," said the first mate as he looked at them strangely. He walked away and the trio began to giggle again. After a few more minutes they were under control and asking themselves why it had been so funny.

"Ah well," thought Kat, "That was a welcome bit of light-hearted banter." She smiled at the two men and sat crossed legged on the deck. "Sorry fellows, but I must be getting back to my knot practice."

"Don't you mean your art?" asked Matthew teasingly.

"It'll probably end up looking more like that," she replied with a sigh. "But I suppose I ought to persevere and learn my knots." The girl placed one hand dramatically on her forehead and fell back as though it were such a chore. In the process she managed to knock her head against the side of the Pearl. "Ouch."

"Such dramatics will only get you into trouble Kat," said Matthew. "Just stick to the basics like me!" He motioned with a flourish toward himself, but also managed to elbow another pirate causing a prime example of the domino effect.

"Oh yes. I should be just like you Matthew," she said with unabated sarcasm. The pirate turned and gave her a friendly scowl before walking off to help clean up the mess he'd caused. Kat chuckled at his misfortune and then moved her gaze to the cords in her lap.

"Poor fellow, he can't manage to keep himself out of trouble, eh?" asked Norrington rhetorically. He moved to the rail of the ship and leaned against it so he was right at Kat's left. The teen nodded in agreement and tried to get the ropes to do as she wished, but it seemed nearly impossible for her. She glared with envy at Cotton who had quickly secured a few articles right in front of her with no problems whatsoever.

"Let me help?" asked James. He felt a bit sorry for Kat since she was having so many problems. She looked up at him gratefully and agreed. The man sat close beside her and showed her how to tie the knots. When she had some real trouble getting the hang of it her took her hands in his and demonstrated exactly how to do it. After Kat thought she was used to it they coiled the ropes and put them away.

"Thanks," she said to James as they walked to the galley.

"It's no problem. Don't worry about it," he replied with a reassuring smile.

"But I've been such a burden!"

"No you haven't."

"Yes I have. All I've done is gotten in your way or caused you to stop your work to help me."

"But you've also been good company and I've learned quite a bit about you."

"You've done the same thing! It's not fair to you."

"Trust me. It's plenty fair," replied James with a sense of finality. He ruffled Kat's hair causing some of it to loose itself from the ribbon holding it back. She let the rest of it down and was about to pull it back again when Norrington stopped her. "You should leave it down. You look prettier that way."

Kat blushed and dropped her hands to her sides. She tucked the ribbon into one of her pockets and smiled at Norrington. "Thanks James," she said, "For everything."

"No thank you," he replied. Kat opened her mouth to argue, but he placed a hand over it to prevent her from speaking. She smiled against his hand and the pair walked off to dinner mutually agreeing to disagree.


	5. Chapter 5: I Give

**Author's Note:** I think this was released even later then last week's. Once again I apologize for my lateness, but I've had so much to do lately that's hard to find time to write especially when inspiration is unwilling to strike. Luckily, I start spring break this Friday so next week's chapter should be out on time as well as the week after that. I hope you find this chapter enjoyable. I personally like the incident between Norrington and Kat. (You'll see what I mean.) Also I'd like to thank Something Not So Normal for her two reviews and Lovelight for being my first reviewer. Please review if you can so I can make the story even better for the readers.

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Slumped against the rail of the Pearl, Kat found herself panting heavily. James was quite the swordsman and his lessons were not for the easily discouraged.

"Get up Kat! We've got more work to do," said her mentor. He sounded a bit cruel, but she knew he only meant to help. Norrington took the fighting arts quite seriously which Kat assumed came from his knowledge of their importance. She pushed herself up on to her feet and settled into a relaxed guard stance. Norrington gave her a slight bow and she reciprocated his gesture with a skirtless curtsey.

"And so it begins," she said with a quick grin. James's teeth flashed in the half light of dawn as he moved forward to attack her. Kat parried his blow and slashed at his ankles. He retaliated with a leap over her blade and several thrusts to her belly. She backed away up the stairs giving herself an advantage in height. A head cleaving blow whistled down toward James, but he caught the slash on his cutlass and knocked Kat's blade away from himself. Then, he used his free hand to twist her sword out of her hand.

The weapon skittered across the deck and the man placed his own length of metal at her throat. "Do you give?" James asked. Kat's eyes glittered with mischief and she made an exaggerated sigh.

"Mr. Norrington, I _always_ give! Why don't you give me something for once?" said the girl. He gave her a look that expressed both his amusement and that he should have seen it coming.

"What would you like, milady?" he asked her while playing along with the charade.

"Oh I don't know. Dresses, or jewelry, or fine china, silk handkerchiefs, rare teas, spices, or how 'bout my cutlass?"

James picked up the lost sword and proffered it to her hilt first. "'Fraid I can only help you with one of those my dear."

"Oh, James, it's lovely!" she squealed with fake enthusiasm. Kat took the sword and looked at it from every angle, as if admiring it. "I can't believe you did this just for me." She gave him a smirk which made her heavy sarcasm all the more obvious.

"'Twas nothing. Just a trinket that's all," he replied returning the smirk. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and spoke once more.

"Really, thanks." Then, her sweet demeanor disappeared and she tackled him to the deck. This only worked because the element of surprise was on her side. Their swords both went to the wayside as James fell onto the boards with Kat atop him. She attempted to keep him down, but he rolled over and trapped her beneath his larger body. The teen beat his chest with her fists and tried to get away, but she failed miserably. Then, she had a brilliant idea. Kat got her hands inside his jacket and began to quickly rub her fingertips over his rib cage. Suddenly, Norrington found himself laughing uncontrollably.

"Stop it, Kat!" he choked out between giggles.

"Do you give?" she asked.

He stubbornly refused to surrender, but she just tickled him even more viciously. "Okay! I give! I give! Just stop." Kat smiled triumphantly and folded her arms over her chest.

"Guess I win for once, James."

"Ah, but you're still beneath me aren't you?" he replied smugly. Her eyes widened and she tried to scurry away, but he simply collapsed himself on top of her. Kat has no chance of pushing him away and now her arms were pinned between their bodies. Loose strands of Norrington's hair fell into her face causing her to wish she could scratch the skin there. She stared resolutely into his beautiful green eyes and he stared back with the same intensity. Eventually Kat found herself memorizing each inch of his rugged features and her expression softened with the gentle, romantic longing that coursed through her veins. James saw this change and his face displayed his slight confusion. The only time he'd seen this look was when Elizabeth talked about Will.

"So she has someone to dream about," he thought with quiet resignation. "I suppose she's lucky in that. Perhaps she even has a chance with him." Norrington had no idea that he himself was in fact the object of Kat's thoughts and so when he found himself feeling a bit disappointed it was all in vain. Kat saw his eyes lose a bit of the jovial light in them and so she wondered what had crossed his mind.

"You okay?" she asked with a tinge of concern in her voice.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," he said quietly. Then, he rolled off of her putting pressure on her right arm in the process.

"Ouch," she muttered with a wince. She had nearly forgotten about the injury incurred upon her by Mercer, but now it had been brought to her attention once more.

"What happened?" asked Norrington as he turned to her. He'd already gotten to his feet and was about to pick up his cutlass.

"I was just reminded of my arm," she explained.

"Ah," he replied in understanding while sliding his sword back into place. Then, James offered Kat a hand which she took gratefully and pulled her to her feet. She then picked up her blade and placed it into its sheath before noticing the awkward silence that had snuck up on them. Suddenly her face flushed in embarrassment as she thought about the position they'd been in.

"Uh, so, um same time tomorrow?" she stuttered nervously.

"Yeah," replied Norrington as he wondered why she was so worked up. While Kat walked away he watched her. From her body language he determined that she was rather tense and he thought about this. "Did I hurt her?" he asked himself. "I hope her arm's alright." He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked over to see its owner.

"A little tension?" asked Matthew in a low voice so Kat couldn't hear.

"I guess," replied the former navy man.

"Ah, you don't understand!" said the older pirate in a moment of revelation about the situation. He smiled at the younger man who evidently was not especially experienced in the ways of women. "The fairer sex isn't as simple as you might believe."

"I know," said James as he recalled his experiences with Elizabeth. "They're prone to doing the opposite of what you'd expect."

"Like tackling and then tickling you?"

"Oh you saw that?" Norrington asked with a slight blush.

"Aye, but evidently you didn't," said Matthew knowingly.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll figure it out," said the elder pirate as he traipsed away.

James stared after him in confusion. "What in the world?" he thought as he went off to find something to do. Perhaps Gibbs would have a job for him.

---

The sunlight beat down on Kat's back as she scrubbed the deck. She paused for a moment and wiped her brow with the back of one hand. Along the rest of the boards other crew members did their best to wipe the grime off the worn wood. The slaps of cloth hitting the deck and the splash of water dominated the air, but it was still possible to discern Elizabeth's words.

"Yes, he did say something about a chest," said the young woman to Jack and Gibbs.

"If the company controls the chest, they controls the sea," said the first mate.

"A truly discomforting notion love," added Jack.

"And bad. Bad for every mother's son what calls himself a pirate," spoke Gibbs again. "I think there's a bit more wind to be coaxed from the sails. Brace the foreyard!" he rushed off to help the crew increase the speed of the Pearl while Elizabeth and Jack continued their conversation. Kat glanced over at Norrington who despite his evident focus on the wood below him was listening intently as she well knew. She found herself feeling déjà vu again as she observed this scene of the movie. Of course it felt even more real with the slippery deck beneath her, the wind causing her wet hands to cool, and the smell of sweat dripping off the crew. Perhaps not more pleasant, but it was certainly more realistic.

"Persuade me," Jack said and Kat's attention was drawn back to the conversation. Jack had already mentioned what was in the letters and Elizabeth was now refusing to "persuade" the captain. When she walked away Kat giggled at the sound Jack made which seemed to express both disappointment and a bit of petulant acceptance.

Norrington stood up to speak with Elizabeth and Kat followed. She covered a grin at the other girl's shocked expression when James mentioned how she hadn't even considered how Will ended up on the Dutchman in the first place. She sidled up to Elizabeth and looked over her shoulder when the compass pointed at Jack.

"Looks like James was right," she said to the only other woman on board.

"Huh? What?" Elizabeth said in surprise as she slammed the compass shut.

"You should try to be a bit gentler with it," replied Kat ignoring the woman's statements.

"Oh, yes, I suppose so," said Elizabeth while hanging the tool around her neck. "I don't believe I've met you which is a shame seeing as we seem to be the only two women aboard this dump."

Kat smiled at the woman's wits and replied, "No we haven't. I'm Katherine Vusan, but I prefer to be called Kat."

"Well, I'm Elizabeth Swann and I suppose you can just call me Elizabeth."

"That's not too hard to remember, Elizabeth," replied Kat. "So what're you doing here anyway?" She knew the story, but it seemed safer for her to ask and get the story so she wouldn't mess up later. Luckily it seemed that most of the people she'd spoken to were willing to provide information about themselves and others making it easier on her if she did let something slip.

"My fiancé, Will Turner, set out to get me free, but my father, Governor of Port Royal, took care of that himself. So I came on the Pearl to find Will, but it seems that he's somehow ended up working on the Flying Dutchman."

"The legendary ship of Davy Jones?" Kat asked with forced surprise.

"Yes, at least that's what I've been led to believe."

"Huh. Well stranger things have happened."

"You think?" asked Elizabeth curiously.

"I know," replied Kat as a distant look took over her eyes and thoughts of home plagued her mind.


	6. Chapter 6: Could It Be Love?

**Disclaimer:** _Pinch Me_ by the Barenaked Ladies is not mine in any way shape or form and is owned by the band itself.

**Author's Note:** Thank you to Something Not So Normal for submitting yet another review. If anyone else who reads this would be so kind to I would greatly appreciate it. I actually managed to release this before night falls today. (Thank you spring break.) So you few readers get the chapter a bit earlier. Next week's chapter should also be released on time due to the remainder of break. Thanks for taking the time to read and I hope you enjoy my work.

* * *

James allowed himself a moment of rest. He was currently supposed to be taking inventory, but since Jack didn't really care about it Norrington had decided to slack off. He sat himself against one of the supportive columns of wood and watched the other pirates lazily wander about. A few actually seemed to be in a hurry, but most strolled slowly past with little or no concern showing on their faces. A glitter of silver caught his eye and James turned his head to see the ankh on Kat's back shining in the lantern light.

"That girl," he though with a mental sigh. "I just don't know what to make of her or what I do make of her for that matter." He knew he thought of Kat as a good friend, even though he hadn't known her long, but he'd also been disappointed when he'd thought she'd been thinking about another man. Did that mean he liked her as more than a friend? "No, that would be silly," he thought. "I barely know her." James considered himself to be quite rational and he had no belief in love at first sight. Even the fact that he felt close to Kat after only knowing her for a week seemed crazy. He couldn't love her; it just wasn't possible. It was far too soon and he knew what love felt like at least he thought he did. There was no way he could bounce back that quickly. Maybe he was over Elizabeth, but a new woman still seemed to be a dream of the future.

"What are you thinking about?"

James looked up to see Elizabeth standing over him. He gave her a weary smile and replied, "Nothing."

"Don't say that," she said. "We both know it's a lie."

The former commodore shrugged in agreement. She had a point after all. "Kat," he said softly still watching the object of his attentions. Elizabeth traced his gaze and smiled. Perhaps James had found someone new.

"Over me already?" she asked with feigned indignation. He looked up at her in distress.

"What? I mean it's not that I never loved you Elizabeth, but after everything that happened. And with my turn of fortunes," he babbled thinking she actually felt spurned. The woman laughed at his flustered words.

"Calm, cool Mr. Norrington in a tizzy? That's new." She reassured him with a pat on the shoulder. "I'm glad you've moved on. It's good for you to have someone else to court."

"Whoa. Hold up there," said the man. "Did I ever say I was interested in her?"

"No, but it's rather obvious that you are," came a new voice over his other shoulder. Norrington sighed and placed his head in one hand.

"Jack has a point, James," said Elizabeth, "You watch her whenever you get the chance. The two of you frequently converse. You're giving her swordsmanship lessons. And that doesn't even include the close encounter you two had a few days ago. You seemed to enjoy lying on top of her." She ticked off her reasons on one hand and at the last she smirked victoriously. Norrington's face colored and he stared at the floorboards nervously.

"Did everyone see that?" he asked quietly.

"No, but Matthew was kind enough to inform those of us who missed it," piped up Jack.

"Great, just great." James let out a frustrated groan. "I don't even know if I like her!" "And now everyone will think that I do," he thought.

"Oh I'd say you like her, mate. Probably a bit more than that," replied the Captain.

"And you would be ever so knowledgeable in these affairs, Sparrow?" asked Norrington scornfully.

"In fact I would! And my acute instincts tell me she's got the same idea." Jack placed one finger to his nose knowingly. How that gesture expressed his assurance James didn't know, but somehow he understood what the other man meant.

"I'd have to agree with you Jack," added Elizabeth. "Kat seems just as interested, and unsure, as you are, James."

Norrington let his eyes return to Kat who was now straightening up her bunk. His gaze softened and he found the corners of his mouth sneaking upwards. "Such a sweet girl," he thought. Then, Kat shot a foot out to trip the unsuspecting Mr. Gibbs who fell with a curse and a thud. "With an edge of course," added James ruefully. Gibbs took Kat's offered hand and pulled himself up with a smirk at her.

"I had to return the favor," said Kat referring to her fall from her hammock.

"Of course," sighed the first mate. But he ruffled her hair and gave her a kindly grin before walking off.

The three who'd been speaking watched this exchange silently. They could just barely make out the conversation, but once he heard it Jack let out a bellow of a laugh.

"I remember that," he said with a grin. "She's got quite a wicked side."

"Yes, she does," agreed James. "But I don't recall anything Gibbs did to her. Were you there?"

"I see you don't gossip Mr. Norrington," replied the Captain.

"Gossip? A group of ragtag men?" asked Elizabeth in disbelief. "And I thought high society women were bad."

"Oh they are. Horribly stuffy though. All the good stuff comes from the servants," Jack told her.

"I don't even want to know," stated the woman.

"Sure you do!" Jack took Elizabeth by the arm and walked her away as he told her about yet another one of his misadventures. James shook his head. He certainly didn't envy Elizabeth.

"Suppose I ought to take inventory," he thought. It wasn't really what he wanted to be doing, but it wasn't in his nature to leave a job unfinished. So the man picked up his quill and paper and walked into the crowded storage room to begin his task.

Kat sat up on deck thinking about home. It was spring there and the daffodils were blooming. It was certain to be pretty. Her mother's garden would be just getting up onto its feet again. She didn't miss the extensive weeding she would've been ordered to do soon, but she did wish the sensation of dirt between her toes and the aroma of flowers were available. Besides that her friends would be preparing for their trip. Ever since sophomore year the Marlinspikes had wanted to go to the annual pirate reenactment in a port city several hours away. All of their parents had finally agreed to let them go, on their own, in their senior year and now that time was almost here.

"Well here for them. I suppose it's really two hundred years away from me," she thought. "Though I guess being in Pirates of the Caribbean is even better." Eventually her mind went to people and then to things she'd left behind. She especially missed her music. She hated having nothing to block out the world with. To distract herself Kat decided to "listen" to something in her head. So she removed her jacket and laid down on it in such a way that the fabric covered both her ears. Then, she let herself depart into the world of song.

After several songs had come and gone Kat found herself going through _Pinch Me_ by the Barenaked Ladies.

_It's the perfect time of year, somewhere far away from here…_

"That for sure," she thought.

_I feel fine enough, I guess considering everything's a mess…_

Kat smiled and agreed with the line. The similarity of the lyrics to her situation, if a little creative extrapolation was used, struck her and she found herself opening her eyes to stare out over the sea.

_Realize that a guy my size might take a while, just to try to figure out what all this is for…_

Kat knew it was going to take some time for her to discover why she was here or how she'd gotten to Tortuga in the first place. But instead of pondering this she let the second verse inspire her.

_It's the perfect time of day to throw all your cares away…_

The teen pulled the laces of her corset from their bow and loosened the material. She unhooked the busk and slid the underclothing out from beneath her shirt. Then, Kat pulled off her boots and stockings before stacking the pieces with her jacket.

_Put the sprinkler on the lawn…_

Kat climbed up onto the rail of the Pearl.

_And run through with my gym shorts on!_

She dived into the sea letting the water rush over her. The cool liquid created a feeling of pure bliss to course through her as she swam to the surface happily.

"Man overboard!" shouted a crewman. He tossed a rope out toward her and Kat grabbed it reluctantly. She had to if she didn't want to be left behind. Much of the crew ran over to the rail to see who'd fallen. Norrington was among the crowd and his heart skipped a beat when he saw Kat in the water.

"Is she okay?" he asked the man next to him with barely contained panic.

"I would hope so. She did dive in out of her own free will," replied the pirate.

"What!?" Norrington shouted wide-eyed. As he ran over to the man with the rope he thought, "She's crazy! Doesn't she know how easily we could've lost her?" he helped the other man to pull Kat in and when she'd made it over the edge he finally relaxed. Kat found herself laughing as she hit the deck. That had been even more fun than she had expected.

"Why are you laughing?" asked Norrington in confusion. "You could've died!"

"But I didn't did I?" replied Kat with stifled giggles.

"How could you take that chance? Do you even know how much I would've missed you?"

"I don't believe it's possible for me to know James," she said calmly since she'd finally stopped her laughter. "Anyway it was all in a bit of fun. Haven't you ever done something spontaneously for your own enjoyment?"

"I can't recall such a time," replied the former navy man.

Kat's eyes widened and she stared in disbelief at him. "You must've! How could you just repress all your desires?"

"It's not all that difficult, Kat," he said softly.

"Evidently," she replied in a subdued voice.

Elizabeth walked up between them and pulled Kat to her feet before taking the girl's coat from a pirate and wrapping it around her shoulders. "Let's get you into some dry clothes," she said as she gave James a glare. She whispered to him so Kat couldn't hear, "Not now and not in front of the crew." The woman took the only other female on the ship down to dry her clothes in the kitchen. As they walked away Norrington watched them with a little shame. He'd lost his temper and he hadn't wanted to. Now he'd probably ruined Kat's fun and moved their relationship back a few stages.

"Sorry," he whispered after them and he left the women alone.

Down in the galley Kat sat huddled near the fire wrapped in a thick blanket. "Really Elizabeth I'm fine. You needn't worry about me," she said.

"Oh no. You've been in the ocean and I am not having you catch a cold on me. Then, who would I talk to about feminine issues?" Truth be told that wasn't the only reason Elizabeth was caring for Kat. Though they had become friends rather quickly due to their shared circumstances she also didn't want James to have another reason to be put into a bad mood.

"I suppose you've got a point there," replied Kat with a smile. She took the mug Elizabeth offered and sipped at the tea within. It had become a ritual of theirs to go down to the kitchen and make tea for themselves since neither of them were interested in drinking themselves sick and now was only a little different.

"You know, Kat, you really shouldn't have jumped off ship. James is right. You just might have been left behind."

"I know," replied the teen with a sigh. "But I just felt such an urge to do it. I never imagined it would've upset him so."

"Well he cares for you Kat. So do I, and Matthew, and perhaps even Jack. None of us want to see you drowned at the bottom of the sea."

"You think?"

"I know," replied Elizabeth using the same line Kat had during their first conversation. The pair shared a smile and continued drinking their tea in silence. Eventually Elizabeth got Kat talking about Norrington to try to pry a confession of potential interest out of her. But the conversation got way out of hand and soon they were talking about past crushes, relationships gone wrong, and their views on love. Days later Elizabeth would find herself wondering whether she and Jack had been right or not, but by then she would have no one to ask.


	7. Chapter 7: Isla Cruces

**Author's Note:** We've finally gotten to Isla Cruces. This chapter took a bit of time to write just because I had to describe the scenes from the movie without making them too boring. If you want a clearer picture watch the movie again otherwise you'll have to live with my summary. I hope you enjoy, as always, and reviews are deeply appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Kat smiled as she let the wind blow through her recently freed hair. She liked leaning over the rail of the ship to watch the sparkling waters ahead of her. The sudden weight of a hand on her shoulder caused her to spin recklessly toward whoever was behind her.

"Oh, James, it's you," she said quietly with lowered eyes.

"Yes, I believe it is though I must say I'm not quite certain about that," replied the man with a slight smile. His dry wit caused a smile to grace Kat's face as well and she looked up cautiously at the man in front of her.

"I'm sorry about the worry I caused you, "she said sincerely.

"I just… overreacted." He placed one finger gently on her lips to silence her readied protest. "I did. By the time I even knew what had happened you were fine. I'm the one who's sorry, Kat." The teenager gave him a warm grin and tried to suppress a laugh. "What?" asked Norrington.

"You're even more charming than I'd thought," she replied.

"And what d'you mean by that?"

"Exactly what I said." Kat stood on tiptoes and wrapped her arms around him. She closed her eyes and deeply inhaled his unique scent as her head laid against his shoulder. James paused before he let his arms circle around her waist. Kat leaned back and met his mossy green eyes with her own chocolate brown ones. She found herself slowly moving closer to him until their lips met with the lightest of touches.

"Land ho!" rang out the voice of Mr. Gibbs and immediately the crew rushed to the opposite side of the ship. They both pulled their heads back and turned them in an attempt to observe their destination, Isla Cruces.

"What happened while I talked to Jack?" asked Elizabeth. "Did you two have an epiphany of sorts?" Kat and Norrington looked at her with puzzled expressions. Then, they noticed that they were still in each other's arms. Both of them stepped away from the other with a little blush.

"Well it wasn't—" started Kat.

"We were just—" said James.

"Sure Elizabeth interrupted with obvious disbelief. She gave them a smug, but happy smile and turned to walk toward the single longboat headed for the island. "Coming?" she asked with a glance toward them.

"Yes," they replied in unison. They exchanged glances before Norrington motioned for Kat to go before him. She took the lead and grabbed his hand spontaneously as they walked toward the boat. Jack was already seated at the bow and Pintel and Ragetti had just settled themselves into their positions at the middle. Then, Elizabeth, James, and Kat squished themselves onto the bench in the stern. All was quiet as they rowed to shore until the two oarsmen began an argument over the pronunciation of kraken. The three in the rear gave each other looks conveying their mutual annoyance at the silly squabble. Jack in contrast seemed rather distracted and he clutched his jar of dirt close to his chest.

Once they'd reached the island the six pirates abandoned ship. Pintel and Ragetti stayed behind as Jack instructed. Then, the two remaining men each picked up a shovel and began to follow the compass as Elizabeth dictated. Soon enough Jack handed Norrington his shovel, but Kat took it from him.

"I can't let a lady carry it!" protested James.

"And I'll not have Jack walking all over you," replied Kat.

"I must refuse," he said while grabbing one end of the shovel.

"Well, I refuse your refusal," she countered pulling the spade out of his grasp.

"Oh, quit arguing you two lovebirds," shouted Jack at the pair.

"We're not lovebirds!" they yelled back at him. Elizabeth and Jack both expressed their disbelief with a smirk while they other two gave them glares of irritation. Kat grumbled about people jumping to conclusions and James laughed at her mutterings.

"See? You've made up already," claimed Jack triumphantly.

"Not quite," said Kat as she gave the still chuckling Norrington a perturbed look.

"You should know, Jack. Women don't forgive that easily," called Elizabeth.

"Ah, yes," replied the Captain as he rubbed his cheek. "I've had a bit of experience in that area." The other three pirates laughed at that comment as they began to trudge through the shallow waters. James's eyes lit up as he had a wonderful, if not mischievous, idea.

"Hey Kat," he said.

"Yeah?" she replied.

"You'd wanted to leap into the ocean right?"

"Well yes, but why are you bringing that up again?"

"One reason."

"Which is?" asked Kat curiously.

"The following." Norrington snatched the shovel from Kat's unprepared fingers and pushed her with the other hand. This caused the girl to tumble into the water which sloshed into one boot and a sleeve.

"James!" she exclaimed in surprise. Jack and Elizabeth turned to see the half-wet Kat lying in the shallows. They, of course, laughed as the damp teen picked herself up and wrung herself out. She pulled off one boot and dumped the water out of it before gaining her own mischievous smile. She refilled her boot with water and then tossed it at Norrington. The man's entire front ended up soaking wet and Kat was laughing now.

"One good turn deserves another," she said sagely. Well, as sagely as possible between giggles. The girl pulled on her wet boot and stomped off to follow the still laughing Jack and Elizabeth. James stood there for a few seconds before catching up to Kat. The damp pair looked at each other and called for a truce before continuing to the site of the chest. Luckily the hot Caribbean sun was likely to dry them within half an hour if they were fortunate.

In the meantime, Kat sobered up and realized she needed to choose where she would go after this scene. She knew she wanted to leave with James, but she also had to decide which fight to follow. "Well, with Lizzie I'll get a better chance to fight and I won't just be chasing after a trio of men. So Elizabeth it is," decided Kat mentally. Meanwhile they had reached their goal. So Elizabeth began her walks back and forth over the same spot while Kat and James looked on. Jack was looking off into the distance and just missed the surprised and irritated look on the woman's face before she sat down.

"This doesn't work and it certainly doesn't show you what you want most," said Elizabeth as she settled down. She glanced at the compass in an attempt to punish it for pointing at Jack, but it seemed unrepentant. Norrington looked up at the Captain with raised brows as if to say "What now?" Jack walked over in his signature style and looked curiously at the compass. He saw its movements and made his conclusion.

"Yes it does. You're sitting on it," said the pirate.

"Beg pardon?" asked Elizabeth in confusion.

"Move," he replied waving his hands at her. The woman backed away and Jack whistled at James to begin digging. The man gave the Captain a sigh and a glare before beginning to shovel the sandy soil away.

After several minutes of hard work during which Kat never let up on a guilt-inducing stare at Jack the thud of shovel on wood caused the four to look at the hole. All of them looked down at the chest for a few moments, but they soon got to work brushing it off and lifting it out of the ground. Jack hit the lock with one of the spades and opened the sea chest. Inside, layers of parchment covered what Kat knew to be the heart of Davy Jones. The three standing pirates knelt by Sparrow as he pulled out the smaller, metal chest. The four leaned close to hear the heartbeat.

"It's real," said Elizabeth quietly.

"You actually were telling the truth," added James incredulously.

"I do that quite a lot, yet people are always surprised," spoke up Jack.

"With good reason!" said the new arrival, Will. Kat had already noticed the lad not only because of her prior knowledge, but also because she was already facing in his direction. Elizabeth looked up and whispered her lover's name as she ran to hug him.

"You're alright! Thank God! I came to find you!" she exclaimed all in one breath before kissing him happily. The other three stood to watch the scene. James looked a bit uncomfortable while Jack just looked around suspiciously. Kat smiled in happiness for the reunited couple.

"How did you get here?" asked Jack suddenly.

"Sea turtles, mate," replied Will. "A pair of them strapped to my feet."

"Not so easy is it?" said the Captain.

"But I do owe you thanks, Jack," said the former blacksmith.

"You do?" asked Jack nervously.

"After you tricked me onto that ship to square your debt with Jones," began Will. Jack winced at this part while Elizabeth looked shocked.

"What?" she asked.

"What?" Jack imitated gaining a dubious stare from James and a giggle from Kat.

"I was reunited with my father," finished Will.

"Oh, well…" said Jack. "You're welcome, then."

"Everything you said to me, every word was a lie!" Elizabeth said furiously with a few steps toward Sparrow. Shock registered clearly on her face. Kat and Norrington exchanged a "we saw it coming" look as Jack began to speak.

"Pretty much. Time and tide, love," he said with no regret whatsoever. Will pulled out the key to the chest and knelt by it causing Jack to exclaim, "Oi! What are you doing?"

"I'm going to kill Jones," answered the lad plainly.

"Can't let you do that, William," said Sparrow as he drew his sword. "'Cause if Jones is dead who's to call his terrible beastie off the hunt, eh?" He smiled and placed the cutlass at Turner's throat. The threatened man watched Jack carefully as Elizabeth continued to look surprised. James just narrowed his eyes and Kat remained silent and out of the way. Will stood and stepped back while Jack asked for the key. Instead Turner drew Elizabeth's sword and spoke of keeping promises. His fiancée stood behind him as Will took up a protective stance before her.

"I intend to free my father. I hope you're here to see it," he said as he pointed the blade at Jack's throat.

"I can't let you do that either. So sorry," interjected Norrington without a hint of apology in the words. Now the three men had their swords drawn so Kat carefully circled out of the inevitable fight's path.

"I knew you'd warm up to me eventually," said Jack victoriously.

"Lord Beckett desires the content of that chest," explained James. "I deliver it, I get my life back."

"Ah, the dark side of ambition," responded Sparrow sarcastically.

"Oh, I prefer to see it as the promise of redemption," shot back Norrington with a wry smile. And with that statement the battle began.


	8. Chapter 8: Battle for a Heart

**Author's Note:** If any of you wonder why there wasn't a chapter last week read the announcement on my profile. To sum it up I was too busy to type it last weekend. This chapter is a bit on the short side, but that because I found a good stopping point and I'd had a fairly long chapter ready to be typed. So that material will go into next week's installment. I hope you enjoy and as always please give me reviews. They are duly appreciated.

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The sound of metal on metal rang through the air as a pair of swords met. In swift succession the trio of men crossed words again and again. The key changed hands and Will dived between the others' swords. Jack and James weren't about to let him get away so they chased after the younger man. The three fighters were completely in their own world where only swords, a chest, and a key existed. Meanwhile Elizabeth protested and Kat rolled her eyes.

"Boys will be boys!" the teen called out to no avail. Elizabeth was not about to let this go.

"Will!" she shouted while running toward her fallen hero. He commanded her to guard the chest before jumping back up to follow Norrington and Sparrow. Elizabeth took on a shocked and outraged expression, but she soon objected, "No! This is barbaric! This is no way for grown men to…" She chased after the ignorant males while Kat chuckled to herself.

"Oh, fine! Let's just haul out our swords and start banging away at each other," shouted Miss Swann with a silly little strut. By now Kat had approached the other female and was just waiting for the faint.

"That will solve everything! I've had it!" yelled Elizabeth with even more anger. "I've had it with wobbly-legged, rum-soaked pirates!" She chucked a rock at the oblivious men while Pintel ran up to join Ragetti near the chest.

"How'd this go all screwy?" asked the shorter of the two. Ragetti explained the situation with surprising lucidity and intelligence, but his belch afterward ruined the moment.

"Sad," replied Pintel.

"What? The three of them or Ragetti's ill-timed burp?" asked Kat as more of a statement than a question.

"This is madness!" yelled Elizabeth while throwing a few more stones.

"This is Sparta," thought Kat gleefully. She loved the movie _300_ so she couldn't help but think of that line. The girl was drawn back to Pintel and Ragetti's conversation when the pair talked about "temptation" and removing it from the others' paths.

"How kind," thought Kat wryly as Elizabeth finally began her fainting stint. The younger girl walked up just as Swann cracked an eyelid. "It's not working," said Kat bluntly while offering a hand to her friend. Elizabeth took it and was pulled up onto her feet just as Pintel and Ragetti ran past with the chest. The two women gave each other a quick glance before hurrying to follow the pair of pirates. They ran across the shimmering white sand while composing a rough sketch of a plan.

"I'll approach from behind and you can take them from the front," said Kat decisively. Elizabeth nodded in agreement and took off ahead of the other woman. After she had disappeared into the greenery Kat heard a bell chiming.

"So they've reached the chapel," she thought. She used the noise to judge that Davy Jones's crew wasn't too far away. The girl entered the jungle with a quick glance behind her. Sure enough the blurry forms of a few fish pirates were just visible over the small hills of sand. Kat entered the jungle and quietly made her way toward Pintel and Ragetti who were making no efforts to conceal their movements. She snuck up behind them as she and Elizabeth had agreed. The other female jumped out in front of the two men who let go of the chest. They drew their swords and advanced on the woman who suddenly realized she no longer had a weapon.

Instead of grabbing the chest when they dropped it Kat drew her own sword and waited. She knew Elizabeth would be okay and so she ignored the three pirates near her in watch of another guiding part of the scene. The waterwheel rolled past with Jack running behind it and she giggled at the men. But soon the screaming group of sea creature pirates was running toward them. When Pintel and Ragetti shoved their swords into Elizabeth's hands Kat rushed to the girl's side to turn and fight off a pirate.

She at least maimed a few in quick succession before turning to run a bit further away. He arm was throbbing again, but it wasn't quite as bad as before. She ignored the pain to focus on the chest's position while she waited for Conch-head to approach. Finally the chuckling pirate snatched the chest and ran off. Kat followed closely, but not so closely that she would be noticeable.

When the water wheel passed once more the teenager stopped and waited for Jack to throw the coconut. Kat was extremely glad that she'd watched this scene so often that she knew exactly what was going to happen. If not she might've really messed up and neither injury nor death were on her to-do list. Jack's aim was true and the drupe knocked Conch-head's cranium right off his shoulders. Kat rushed up behind Jack and waited for him to open the small chest.

"Well? Get on wi' it," she shouted as she got closer. The Captain froze and turned slowly to see her approach. He hid the chest behind his back and gave her a forced, but charming smile.

"Ah, Kat, always a pleasure," said Jack in a surprisingly relaxed tone for the situation he was in.

"Jack cut the crap. We both know what's behind your back and I'm sure neither of us actually wants to bother with useless niceties," she replied swiftly.

"Only if you can get him to shut up," said Sparrow teasingly as he pointed at Conch-head.

"Will you just shut the fuck up?" asked Kat using the most vulgar word she could think of. Davy's man went silent at her extreme language as did Jack. She'd forgotten that fuck was in no way considered to be an appropriate word at this time even more so for a young lady. In fact it was probably the most shocking thing she could've said. But that only worked to her advantage here.

"Well done," said Jack after regaining his composure. "I never knew you were quite so… cultured." Kat rolled her eyes at him in impatience. "Come on, love. Can't you enjoy the moment?" he asked, but she only glared at him. So he stuck to his agreement and slid the key into the ornate lock of the chest. The key turned slowly before bars shot out of the metal box. It was open. He lifted the lid and they both stared at the heart of Davy Jones in silence. Jack picked it up after a few moments and gently placed the still-beating organ into his shirt. Interestingly, it was quite close to his own heart.

The yells of angry fish men and three fleeing pirates caught Kat's attention and gaze. Before she could look back Jack had slammed the chest shut and run away. She ran after him and caught up with him after a bit. They reached the long boat in silence and Sparrow opened his jar of dirt. He scooped out some of the dry brown grit, tossed the heart inside, and tried to refill the jar. Just as it was sealed a yelling fish pirate attacked with a blow that sliced right between the two of them.

Kat turned first with her already drawn sword to block the pirate's next blow. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jack take an oar to keep another pirate from attacking. She managed to avoid a whistling slice meant to chop off her arm by dancing to one side. Jones's crewman followed her as she led him in a twisting path across the beach. The teenager parried some blows, but most she simply skipped out of the way of. It was a skill James had helped her to develop after he'd realized how her speed was much greater than her power.

"Speaking of James," thought Kat as the water wheel barreled through the shallows. "Or I suppose thinking of him," the girl corrected herself before knocking her opponent's cutlass from his hands. She hit him hard on the temple with the pommel of her sword and ran back to the longboat hoping that he would be unconscious just like all the movies indicated he would.

Kat reached the boat a little earlier than Norrington and so she got started on pulling the heart out. She opened Jack's jar and reached in for the now dust-coated organ. "Gotcha," she thought as her fingers closed around the beating muscle. James reached her side and began shuffling through Jack's coat for the letters of Marque.

"No greeting?" she muttered at him.

"Sorry I'm a bit busy," replied the former commodore. "If you hadn't noticed there's an all out pirate battle going on all around us."

"Ah thanks for the update. I wondered what that noise was." They exchanged a smile, but Kat noticed the worry in his eyes. James continually glanced at the heart of Davy Jones which she still held. "Here," she said as she handed it to him. His eyes widened, but he took the heart and placed it inside his jacket with the letters.

"What you don't want the heart?" asked Norrington.

"I don't have a career to save," replied Kat seriously. James gave her a grin and she grinned back. Then, they both moved out to battle more of Davy's crew. Of course the fight was hopeless with only seven of them against a multitude of fish men. Then, Will was knocked out by Jack and they were down to six. Soon the group of pirates was surrounded with little chance of survival.

"We're not getting out of this," said Elizabeth her worry evident in her tone.

"Not with the chest," replied James. "Into the boat," he commanded while grabbing the chest. He ran between a few of the fish men knocking aside a couple blades as he did so.

"I say we respect his final wish," said Jack hurriedly with great relief. He still thought he had the heart. The others nodded and began pushing the longboat out to sea, but Kat didn't help. She was going with Norrington.

"Sorry, but I won't be letting that happen." The teen sprinted after Jones's men leaving her crewmates behind.

"Wait! Kat!" called Elizabeth in vain. She didn't really want Kat to leave, but she also was not going to throw away her life or Will.

"Kat's a big girl; she can take care of herself," assured Jack before ordering Pintel and Ragetti to row them away. Elizabeth remained silent as she watched Kat disappear into the jungle. Then, she cut off all thoughts about her friend's fate and instead focused on Will.

"God be with her," thought the woman as they made the journey back to the Pearl.


	9. Chapter 9: Stranded

**Author's Note:** Hello readers. I've released this one a little earlier in the day, but don't count on it becoming common. I just had the day off. There's a lot of dialogue in this one, but I hope you enjoy it. I actually ended up with quite a different chapter than I'd originally written which actually means it'll take a bit longer to get to Beckett. (Don't worry those of you who want to see him. He'll show up soon.) Anyways please review so I know I've got somebody enjoying this. Thanks in advance.

Norrington tripped and fell heavily to the ground losing his lead on the murderous crew. He spat some sand out of his mouth and reached for his sword. Luckily he'd kept his grip on the chest when he fell, but it didn't seem like he'd be getting his cutlass back since a barnacled foot rested upon the blade preventing anyone from picking it up. James followed the leg upwards to see Conch-head who was currently holding said head in one hand.

"Your bravery is wasted. I shall pry that chest from your cold dead hands," said the pirate as he stroked his chin. Norrington was not going to let that happen so he jumped up and threw the chest at the fish man.

"Here you go!" he shouted before running off into the jungle. The pirates laughed and turned to walk toward the coast and by proxy toward Kat. She heard the laughs and adjusted her course to the right since she thought that was the direction James would be moving in. Then, she realized that if she didn't meet up with him she'd be stuck on this island, alone.

"Oh crap," she whispered as her pace increased. "James!" she shouted frantically into the trees. "James where are you?" Kat was freaking out at the thought of being left here. Fear gave her the strength to run even faster as she searched for the former commodore. Leaves swished when she disturbed them and branches cracked beneath her boots. Her heart pounded wildly almost as if it was going to burst out of her chest and find Norrington on its own. All of a sudden a well-tanned hand shot out from behind a nearby tree and covered her mouth while a second hand slid around her waist. They quickly pulled her behind the tree, but Kat wasn't going to take it. She was already panicked and kidnapping wasn't on her list. The girl didn't realize that there really was only one person who could've grabbed her, James. So instead of remaining still she bit the hand near her mouth.

"It's me, Kat!" whispered Norrington in her ear as he let go of her. She turned to see him leaning against the tree and shaking his hand. His face was slightly pained from the bite she'd given him. The teenager looked down in embarrassment and muttered something about how she was sorry for biting him, but she'd been freaking out and was already panicked. In the middle of her excuses James smiled at her and lifted her chin with two fingers.

"Don't worry about it. It's not the worst injury I've had today," he said kindly. Kat paused, but soon stepped forward to press herself against his chest.

"You're too nice to me James," she whispered into his shirt as she gripped it tightly. He wrapped one arm around her and sank down to sit in the underbrush. Kat sat curled up in his lap as her heartbeat slowed and she began to relax again. They both stayed quiet for several minutes as they caught their respective breaths.

"Have I been too nice?" asked Norrington playfully. "Maybe I need to do something mean now."

"Don't ruin the moment," muttered Kat with a little irritation. She looked up at him and smiled. "We've already had one ruined for us."

"Wha—" started James before remembering how Gibbs had interrupted them on the ship though it wasn't really his fault. "Perhaps we should fix that," he said referring to the moment.

"I suppose we could," replied Kat as they leaned together. They kissed again, but this time it was deeper, fiercer. She pushed her fingers into his messy brown locks as he wrapped both hands around her waist. They broke the kiss and grinned at each other. Then, their wounds caught up with them.

"Ow…" said Kat as she felt some of the aches and pains she had. There were definitely going to be some bruises and her legs already felt heavy after her run. Her sword arm hadn't appreciated the extra weight and her other arm hurt from the gunshot wound. "Tomorrow's going to be fun," she thought with a sigh.

"Anything really bad?" asked James regarding her wounds. Kat shook her head no and asked the same question. "No, I think I'll be alright, but my hand may never be the same again."

"Shut up," she said as she shoved him. This didn't exactly work since he was already up against the tree trunk. Kat folded her arms and let out a puff of air. It wasn't fair. He was always in the right position to win.

"Oh, come on. The fact that I'm hopelessly brilliant so I always win our arguments is no reason for you to be in a bad mood," said James teasingly.

"You are _not_ 'hopelessly brilliant' no matter how much you wish you were Mr. Norrington," replied Kat.

"Back to formalities are we Miss Vusan?"

"I suppose so!" Kat stood and placed her hands on her hips while leaning over James's reposed form.

"Must we get up to argue?" asked James lazily.

"Just because you asked, yes," replied Kat. She grabbed Norrington's uninjured hand and pulled on it. She would never actually be able to pull him to his feet, but if she annoyed him enough he'd probably get up on his own.

"Kat…" he said in a whiny little kid's voice.

"What?" she asked as she continued to pull.

"Do I have to get up?"

"Yes!"

"But Kat…" he said drawing out her name.

"Quit whining!" she yelled in exasperation.

"Okay," he replied as he jumped up.

"You just live to annoy me don't you?" asked Kat rhetorically. Her face clearly expressed how bothered she was and she dropped Norrington's arm in favor of crossing her own.

"You know you like the attention," James whispered in her ear. The girl found herself shivering at his tone of voice and he smiled at her reaction. "I knew it," he said proudly.

"So what if I do? You're still annoying," said Kat as she walked away.

"Ah, but you like it. And you don't know where you're going."

She stopped walking since he was right and her faced turned a little red. Why did he always have to be right? It irritated her, but at the same time she loved it. She was never this stupid around her friends. In fact she won almost all her arguments back home. But when he was around her brain committed suicide and that bothered her the most. "Well do you know where we're going Mr. Brilliant?"

"I would assume we'll go back to the coast and figure out how to get off of this godforsaken island," he replied with a smile. James knew he'd gotten to her and though he didn't want to annoy her too much it was rather fun.

"That works, but shouldn't we decide how we'll be leaving first? It'd be a waste to walk all the back and then have to come back into the jungle again." Kat's brains had been resurrected. Praise the Lord.

James paused and opened his mouth to speak, but she was right. "Guess I won't be completely winning this," he thought. "I suppose we should," he replied lamely. Kat smirked triumphantly and gave her friend a grin.

"Don't take it too badly that I'm not as stupid as you'd thought," she said.

"I never thought you were stupid. But your brain-mouth coordination didn't seem to be well exercised."

"I don't think that's the problem. I've just had too much stress lately," Kat said as an excuse.

"Such a cliché line, Kat! I'd expect better from you if you were as good as you claim."

"James, you're on thin ice," she replied threateningly. Norrington actually felt a little afraid of what she might do which was impressive since she didn't really have particularly threatening looks. He just felt like she'd be able to come up with something to scare him.

"We probably should stop arguing anyway," he reasoned. "Since we do need to get off this island before we starve."

"We'd probably become dehydrated first, but there are coconuts," replied Kat.

"That's true. Those could keep us going for a bit," admitted Norrington. "As for getting off the island I think a raft is our only choice."

"You know you really should've thought about this before you decided to be the hero," she pointed out.

"Perhaps, but I didn't really have time to think about it. So let's go with the raft idea. We'll have to make it out of the wood on the island, but how to connect it all together…" James trailed off as he tried to think of a solution.

"Well we can use these right?" Kat pointed out some hanging vines which looped throughout the trees. They looked decently strong and it didn't seem like they would break too easily.

"We don't have another option," replied James. "Then perhaps we could fill in the gaps with mud. I know there's some back where Jack, Will and I were fighting."

"Won't it just crumble once it dries?"

"Not if we mix it with grass. The fibers will keep it from disintegrating or at least most of it."

"Good idea," said Kat. Her voice expressed how impressed she actually was. "I assume we'll build it by the mud then unless it'd be easier to tie it together first."

"I'd say tie it up here, carry it to the mud, and then bring it to the beach," thought James aloud.

"Then, we ought to get started before night falls." Kat raised one hand to shield her eyes as she determined the Sun's position. "We don't have too long."

"Let's do it tomorrow," said Norrington. "We'll have more time then and we still need to eat something. Besides tomorrow we'll have more energy."

"And more aches," added Kat pointedly. "But I don't feel like building either." She walked over to a palm tree and squinted up at the leaves. "You want a coconut?" she asked as she shimmied up the trunk.

"Sure," he replied as he sat back down. Kat grabbed a few still green coconuts. She'd read up on the drupes as part of a school project once and she knew the best coconut water was in the young ones, but they would be harder to open.

"Catch," she shouted as she tossed one at him. He grabbed the hard fruit and set it down nearby while Kat came back down. She placed her coconut in a hollow in the ground and pulled out her sword. "I hope this works," she thought as she swung the cutlass down in a double-handed strike. Luckily she'd made a smooth crack in the outer shell through which she could drink the coconut water. James copied her and did the same to his. Then, both pirates sat side by side and drank.

"So this is life stranded on and island," said Kat.

"Not half bad, eh?" replied James. They both sat in a comfortable silence and before long they had fallen asleep. The next day they would be glad they'd gotten the extra sleep since it was going to quite a laborious one.


	10. Chapter 10: Maybe Work Isn't Half Bad

**Author's Note:** Sorry about not releasing last week. I hadn't finished typing by Monday so I assumed I'd finish up Tuesday, but that plan failed. I had way too much homework and extra chores so I didn't get much of anything fun done. Here's chapter ten which I hope you'll enjoy. And if we're all lucky I'll get the next one out on schedule. (I feel so bad for saying that when it keeps not happening.) Please review!

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The next day Kat awoke to the sun glaring in her eyes. She blinked the sleep away as something shifted on her left. James still lay with closed eyes beside her and she noticed his arm was wrapped around her waist. Almost as a second thought the teen realized her hand was firmly entangled in his shirt.

"I can feel his heartbeat," thought Kat in her partially awakened state. This fascinated her since her brain wasn't completely working yet. She scooted closer to Norrington and placed her other hand against his chest as well. James's hand slid a little farther down her back so it was resting against the base of her spine. She meanwhile had also pressed her nose into his shirt. He smelled like the sea, dirt, sweat, and something decidedly masculine that was so very unique.

"Well hello there," said Norrington as he opened his eyes. "I can't say I mind waking up to a pretty girl by my side." Kat blushed furiously at his comment and only buried her face further into the fabric.

"Come now. Don't be shy. You certainly weren't while you thought I was still asleep," he said with a satisfied smirk.

"Ooh err ahake?" asked Kat in embarrassment though her words were muffled by his shirt.

"Yes, I was awake and that's perfectly fine." He placed a hand on either side of her face and made her look up. "It's not a problem."

"I was half-asleep just so you know," she said in her defense.

"Alright. Fine. You keep thinking that's why."

"You are far too full of yourself, James."

"That only applies if I was wrong."

"Is he?" Kat asked herself mentally. Their relationship was on the borderline between friends and potential lovers. Most of the time they just teased each other and acted like close pals, but then he'd kiss her or make some comment like the one about her being pretty. She was so confused. What did she want? And what did James want? Kat sighed and forced herself back to reality. They did have work to do after all.

"What is it Kat?" James asked with concern. She'd been rather quiet for the last couple of minutes and he wondered if he'd done something wrong.

"Oh I'm fine," she replied adding a bright smile after a few seconds, but her eyes revealed the turmoil she was holding within.

"You sure?" he asked with a step towards her.

"Yeah, I was just thinking about the future." This was basically the truth. A couple coconuts landed near Norrington from Kat's throws. He cracked both open as they had before and they drank. Then, they snapped the drupes in half and ate the coconut jelly within. The young coconuts were great for water, but their meat wasn't completely mature yet so it's consistency was more jelly-like, hence the name.

After this meal Kat and James began to collect large branches and those odd vines. It took them a good while to procure enough of these materials and building the raft itself was no easy matter. Conversations started up sporadically, but none lasted too long. Both were just too preoccupied. Their wounds were a source of constant distraction. Norrington was also thinking about Beckett, his career, and what was up with Kat. She was wrestling with her feelings for James and his for her. Besides that her fate in Port Royal also bothered her.

"James, where are we going?" she asked although she actually already knew.

"Port Royal if our luck is good," he replied as he tied off a couple of vines.

"Never been there," she replied. "Any particular reason?" Kat was also tying some of the rope-like plants. Her knots had certainly improved since that day on the Pearl.

"Cutler Beckett, head of the East India Trading Company, is there. He's the one who issued those Letters of Marque so I have to head back there to be pardoned. It's also where I worked as a navy man until my run in with Jack. Hopefully I'll get a decent post and things will work out. I hope you don't mind coming along. It is rather important to me."

"It's no problem. I don't have any other pressing engagements anyway." Kat gave him a grin and dusted her hands off as she completed the last knot. "To the mud?' she asked.

"To the mud," James confirmed and they lifted the raft to carry it away. A convenient mud pool revealed itself and the pair settled their masterpiece nearby. Kat tore some of the grass up and mixed it with a handful of mud as they'd planned. Norrington did the same and soon both were filling the holes in the raft at top speed. After they'd completed this task they took a break for lunch which was, of course, coconuts again. Kat was getting a bit sick of them, but they were better than nothing.

"Yum," she muttered as she drank. "I don't think I'll ever be able to look at coconuts the same way after this."

"I know what you mean," said Norrington. He laid back in the grass and stared at the bright blue sky. Kat had no idea what he was thinking about, but he looked so peaceful like that. She just sat nearby watching him for what seemed like hours, but was probably more like minutes. Then, James sat up ate the rest of his coconut and threw the pieces away. "You alright?" he asked for the second time today. Kat had been zoning out a lot lately, but he thought she was okay. At least he hoped so.

"You can quit worrying about me," she replied with a smirk. "It's sweet and all, but I really am fine. Anyway there are more important things to think about."

"I think my traveling companion is rather important," replied James.

"As do I, but if that companion isn't going to get off the island without you worrying about other things I'd suggest you worry about other things. Perhaps we can think about food instead? Won't we need some when we're drifting aimlessly?" Kat had placed her hands on her hips sometime during her little tirade, but it didn't look very threatening since she was sitting with her hair and clothes all mussed up.

"I suppose we ought to," replied James though he had a sneaking suspicion that Kat did have something bothering her. He didn't want to force it out of her though.

"I'd assume we're bringing coconuts," said Kat as she tried to keep the conversation going. Norrington thought she was the one with the problem, but he was zoning out as well. "But we need something to keep them in."

"Yeah," replied James as his voice trailed off thoughtfully. He snapped his fingers and began pulling off his coat.

"What are you doing?" asked Kat utterly confused. When he started to pull off his shirt she blushed wildly and buried her face in her hands, but soon enough she just had to take a glance. "Oh my God," she thought as she stared blatantly at Norrington's chest and abs. He wasn't overly muscular, but he wasn't flabby either. The lean muscles covering his body were lightly defined just enough to be appealing, but not overly obnoxious.

"Like what you see?" said James with a smirk. He had definitely noticed where her eyes had gone. It was actually a bit odd. He never would've done something like this to a girl, but, as he'd thought before, Kat was different. It was almost like it was okay. Like around Kat he didn't have to adhere to social norms. Instead he could just be himself.

Meanwhile Kat had blushed even more which she'd thought was impossible. "Damn. Why does he have to be so hot?" she asked herself before answering him. "Yeah, but I have a feeling you already noticed."

"I did, but I wanted to hear you say it," he replied.

Kat rolled her eyes and muttered, "Men." She picked his coat up and pushed it at him so he'd have some form of covering. A half-naked Norrington was way too distracting. James complied with her wishes and pulled on the jacket. "Now why did you have to do that?" she asked. He'd been acting like he'd had a great idea before pulling off his shirt.

"We can put coconuts in this," replied James as he held up his shirt. "I assumed you wouldn't want to take yours off."

"Um, yeah. Good idea." Kat still felt a bit uncomfortable with the situation. She'd rarely been around shirtless guys except at the public pool and they hadn't been sexy fallen Englishmen who she shouldn't even be able to speak to. "And I just keep making this worse for myself," she thought as she climbed up one of the palms nearby. A few coconuts landed at the base of the tree before Kat moved on to another. They ended up collecting a decent amount, but they both realized that these wouldn't last them too long.

"There's got to be a ship out there right?" asked Kat. She knew one of Beckett's ships would pick them up, but she had no idea how long it'd take. Perhaps just having her there would cause them to die because James only had enough food and water for himself. Or the raft would break because of her extra weight. Kat stopped her thoughts right there since worrying would do her no good, but in the back of her mind a constant nagging voice reminded her of what just might happen.

"I certainly hope so," replied James. "There's always the chance that someone else was following Jack."

"That's true," said Kat as she picked up one end of the raft. "Well shall we head to the beach?"

"I think so." Norrington picked up his end and they trekked to the beach. When they'd reached the shore the Sun's was just beginning to set. They agreed to wait until tomorrow before setting out partially because it would be easier for someone to spot them and also because it would be better to sleep on land and get a good last meal in before they left. They ate once more and then made sure the raft was far enough away from the ocean that the tide wouldn't carry it off in the night.

"Well, goodnight James," Kat said with a yawn.

"Mhmm," he replied with just a sleepy nod. They were both exhausted after a day of work so they laid on the still warm sand. Then, side-by-side, they dropped off into the dream world.


	11. Chapter 11: Conflicting Thoughts

**Author's Note:** Finally, I have gotten chapter eleven to you. Exams interfered with my writing schedule so I ended up not posting, but now that school's out for the summer I should be able to write more often. Part of this chapter was inspired by Man Vs. Wild, a show on the Discovery Channel, which I just so happened to watch the island survival episode of about a week ago. Mostly the first bit came from that. I wouldn't have actually written it the same way if not for watching that show. As always reviews are appreciated. Feel free to complain or correct me just review!

* * *

It was pitch black. Absolutely no light came down from the heavens which Kat could only assume was caused by clouds above. That might be a bad sign if they were cumulonimbus ones since that could only mean rain which wouldn't be beneficial to their journey.

Kat didn't know what time it was or why she was awake. It was unlike her to wake in the middle of the night. She hadn't had a nightmare and though she was a bit cold it wasn't nearly bad enough to wake her. Suddenly, she noticed an odd feeling, a dread of something coming. This complete darkness was unnerving her. Kat wasn't afraid of the dark, but she had never experienced absolute blackness all around her. She was so alone, so abandoned, so empty. This environment was having terrible psychological effects on her. She was blind. Only the sound of the waves could penetrate such a thick layer of night. It was the water and her. There was no one else. The girl's breathing sped up. She'd never felt such irrational fear or such loneliness. Then, a warm hand found hers. James was there. Someone existed in this endless night.

Tears leaked from the corners of Kat's eyes. Relief flooded over her and she rolled over to grab a hold of her anchor in the night. "James," she whispered as she clutched his jacket tightly.

"We're together, Kat. You're not alone," Norrington assured her. He'd been feeling the same thing and could only assume that they'd both been desperate for human contact. His arms gathered her close and he held her tightly. "I'm not letting you go," he told her. "I won't be left alone."

Kat reached one hand up to find James's face. Her fingers stroked his cheek gently as she spoke. "Don't worry. I won't leave you here." As they clung to one another that strange fear dissipated and they both fell asleep once more.

In the half-light of dawn Kat awoke again. She opened her eyes slowly to see Norrington's naked chest before her. The events of the past night returned to her and she squeezed James gently as she remembered. "Thanks James," she said quietly knowing that he was already awake.

"Thank you, Kat," he replied with his eyes still closed. "You weren't the only one scared last night."

"Admitting fear? I've never known a man to do that," said Kat thoughtfully.

"I'm not just any man."

She paused at this. James had done it again. He'd caused her to ponder their relationship. It wasn't that she wanted to question what was going on, but she felt the need to. Kat always had to know where the line was. Had they crossed it already? We're they toeing it? What were they? What did their relationship amount to? "Dammit," she muttered in frustration.

"Damn what?" asked Norrington.

Kat looked at him quickly noting that his eyes were still unopened which meant he hadn't noticed her thoughtful expression. Perhaps she could get away with saying something simple. "My arm, it's just sore again." That was true though not what she'd been swearing about.

"And you took that pause to think about your arm hurting before cursing it?" he said.

"Crap," thought Kat. He's too observant for his own good. "No, I took it to think about fear," she replied. "Then, I noticed my arm afterwards." A mental sigh flow through her mind as she thought this would be sufficient. James didn't seem to pry too much anyway so he'd probably leave the topic alone. She liked this trait of his since it meant she could get away without having to tell him everything, but it also meant that he didn't know quite so much about her. In fact, no one really knew her here for there was no one to know her. She was the only modern person in this world and so she couldn't tell anyone the truth. That was probably the thing that sucked the most about being in Pirates of the Caribbean. It was the one thing that really made this less of an enjoyment. She did miss her home, but not as much as she would've guessed. She certainly wouldn't have anticipated wanting to tell someone where she was from, but she did. She wanted to so badly.

"Kat are you okay?" asked James. He propped himself up on one elbow and watched her with concern. She'd really gotten lost in thought this time.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not sure," replied Kat. It felt good to be honest. She had no plans to make a habit of telling everyone everything about her, but lies had dominated her conversations here and she needed to change that. She needed to tell James something true about her. Not a made up past or a lie about her feelings, but a simple, perhaps unimportant, truth.

Worry quickly dominated Norrington's brow. He placed his palm against her forehead and checked her pulse with the other hand. "What's wrong? Are you sick," he asked rapidly.

"No, it's not that kind of wrong. It involves my mind more than my body," said Kat honestly.

"But that's even worse! Are you mentally unstable or something? It always just seemed like you were a bit thoughtful, but perhaps you're insane!" James's eyes flicked about as he quickly drew his own conclusions though they were incorrect.

"No, I'm not sick in the mind, just troubled. It's not that big of a deal. I can get over it later. For now let's focus on getting off this island," she replied. Logic had come back to rule her thoughts and so it was survival of the body over sanity of the mind.

He began to speak in a concerned rush. Norrington's worry was taking over. "But if you're having problems then we should take care of them. Because if you're not okay then we have to make sure you're alright and if you're not okay then you can't be alright so we've got to do something—"

A hand covered his mouth. Kat stopped him from saying another word until his breathing slowed to an acceptable level. "I am fine," she enunciated clearly. "We can talk about this later if you'd like, but we need to survive first." It seemed the truth had not been such a good idea. Not now anyway.

Norrington took a deep breath and calmed himself. "You're right. Let's talk later," he said in his usual tone. "Then, shall we head to sea?"

"I'd say so," she replied. "A riptide would help us get away from the island so if you see one of those." She trailed off as something was bothering her. What had they forgotten?

"I thought we were going to talk about this later," said Norrington as Kat dropped into silence again.

"No, that's not it. There's something we've forgotten, something important." After a few more moments of thought she snapped her fingers and ran of into the jungle. Within a minute or so Kat returned to a confused James with two long sticks that widened at their ends. "Oars!" she shouted happily. "That's what it was!"

"Those would be a good idea," replied James thoughtfully. He took an oar and one end of the raft as Kat took the other. She had already grabbed the coconuts so they were all ready to go. Then, with synchronized movements they placed their raft just offshore. Kat got onto the raft and hung onto the oars and food. Then, after wading their vessel into deeper waters Norrington also jumped on. They both took an oar and steered the raft away from the island with the help of a useful riptide. Now it was up to the sea to take them somewhere they could survive.

Hours at sea were not the most enjoyable. As the sun rose it beat down upon the helpless sailors probably causing sunburn. Sadly there was no sunscreen available for use and Kat cursed the fact that they were in the 1700s no matter how much fun it could be. Eventually they got hungry and broke open a few coconuts. They were careful to eat and drink slowly both to conserve their supplies and to get the most out of their only source of nourishment. After hours of monotonous ocean a small bump on the horizon caught Norrington's attention.

"Hey, Kat, do you see that?" he asked as he pointed toward the bump.

"Yeah, there's definitely something out there," she replied. "Hopefully a ship." Her heart swelled with the possibility of meeting a ship so soon. "Do you think we should row toward it?"

"I don't see how it could hurt," James said in reply. The pair took up their oars and eagerly used to them to move toward the ship. After a long period of rowing Kat took a break and set her oar down. It didn't seem like they had gotten much closer as the bump was not much larger.

"Not as easy as it seems," she said as she drank some more coconut water. James grunted in agreement and drank his own water. Soon they were back to rowing and hoping for salvation. More time passed and soon it looked like they were making progress. Luckily the ship was coming in their direction so it couldn't be too difficult to meet with it. They just had to be seen. "We've got to be visible," said Kat verbalizing her fears.

"Well it doesn't seem that we're all that colorful, eh?" commented James. Then, he remembered Kat's coat. "We can use your coat! The ankh is reflective enough for those on the ship to see it."

"Good idea." She pulled off her jacket and flipped it over so the silver ankh was face up. The ship finally drew near and Kat waved the coat in the air as she tried to catch someone's attention.

"Man overboard!" came a shout and soon the pair of pirates were being tossed ropes and pulled onto the ship.

"That didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would," said Kat.

"I wasn't this optimistic either," replied James.

The crew relieved them of their weapons which they gathered and carried off somewhere else. The pair of outsiders were surrounded by an obviously well-oiled Naval crew. Most of the men were fingering their swords or pistols in anticipation of an attack, but Kat and Norrington were far too exhausted to even try somthing like that. Besides which they'd wanted to be picked up.

Both gave in to any demands without complaint. They were taken to the brig which though dirty and somewhat smelly was better than the raft. Hard bread and salt pork were brought to them and they attacked the food greedily. Then, water was also sent and although it wasn't exactly pleasant it was much better than just drinking coconut water. Both pirates fell asleep soon after their meal and it was hours before they awoke.

"Git up," shouted a sailor. Kat opened her eyes just as a booted foot delivered a swift kick to her ribs.

"Ow," she thought as she rubbed her side and got up. James was also standing and both of them were clad in irons to be brought to the captain's quarters. Once there they awaited the arrival of said captain. The door creaked open behind them and they both turned to see none other than Mercer. Kat's mouth dropped open in shock. She knew this was the East India Trading Company's ship, but she hadn't known that Mercer would actually be on it with them.

"What a pleasant surprise," said Beckett's man emotionlessly as he moved to sit at the desk in the room. His eyes moved to Kat as he purposely voiced the opposite of her thoughts. "A very pleasant surprise."


	12. Chapter 12: Mercer as a Catalyst

**Author's Note:** Sorry about the late release, but I just wasn't happy with what I'd first written. I hope you enjoy the revised version. In the next chapter we will finally meet Beckett! So all you Beckett fans can rejoice. I don't have much else to say besides enjoy the chapter and please review!

* * *

An uncomfortable silence pressed down upon the trio. Mercer's cold eyes stared resolutely into Kat's while she tried to avoid his gaze. Unfortunately it felt stranger not to look at him so for her own comfort the girl was forced to stare back. Meanwhile James had been trying to process Mercer's comment with little success. Eventually he decided to clear up his confusion by asking, "What exactly is that supposed to mean Mister…" His words trailed off since he didn't know the captain's name.

"Mercer," replied the man quickly. "And it simply means that I've met this young lady before, Mr. Norrington." An icy smile formed upon his face as he spoke. Kat had a bad feeling about this Mercer was up to something, but she didn't know what. The question was how could he be when he barely knew her? And he couldn't know about her relationship with James. So what did he have planned?

Norrington's mind was in the present instead of the future. He voiced his thoughts aloud saying, "You've met Kat? And you know my name?"

"Since my master has put out a warrant for your arrest I ought to know your name," replied Mercer succinctly.

"A warrant? But who would—" Before he had finished his sentence James knew the answer. "Beckett," he concluded.

"Lord Beckett," corrected the captain.

"Then, you can help me," said Norrington. "I've acquired these." He placed the case containing the Letters of Marque upon the desk. The leather shone slightly in the candlelight as Mercer reached out with an interested hand to open it. After peering at the papers inside he placed them back inside their housing and set them near the edge of the desk.

"I see. You will speak to Lord Beckett upon our return which shouldn't take too long if the winds remain favorable. Feel free to roam about the ship, Mr. Norrington, though Kat will remain a prisoner." After he had finished his business the captain stood and took a few steps toward the door before he was interrupted.

"Wait! You can't just keep her in the brig alone!" protested Norrington as he stood and knocked several items off the desk. Kat picked up the Letters of Marque and remained silent during James' arguments.

"I am the captain of this ship and I will do as I wish, but if you would like to join her you may. Though I would advise you to be careful of your possessions, her 'advances' may not be what they seem." Beckett's valet finished saying this and got halfway out the door, but Norrington was not letting him leave without an explanation.

"What's that supposed to mean?" James asked with clear frustration in his voice.

"I think it's quite clear, Mr. Norrington. When I met Kat she was flirting up a storm and pick-pocketing every last man she could. I'd hoped my actions had remedied such activity, but judging by her company I'm not so sure my tactics worked." With this final blow Mercer left the room. Several sailors grabbed the shocked Kat by her bound arms to bring her back to her cell. Another sailor went to free James, but he declined.

"Take me with her," he ordered in a subdued voice. The walk down seemed much longer than it ought to have to Kat. She could tell that Norrington was hurt, but Mercer had thrown things way out of proportion. Now things were even worse between her and James.

Finally, they reached their cell and both were shoved into the same one. Their manacles were removed and then the sailors left them to their own devices. It didn't take long for Norrington to ask the question burning a hole in his heart. "Was he telling the truth?"

Kat remained silent as she tried to formulate an answer that was honest, but didn't alarm him any more than he already was. "Sort of," she replied which was about the closest thing to the truth she could've said.

"Sort of? There's no sort of! You either were or you weren't!" exclaimed James in reply. Had Kat been playing with his emotions all this time? Was she ever genuine in her words or actions? Could he trust her? These questions swirled and mingled inside his hurt brain as he tried to decide what the truth was.

Meanwhile Kat had realized Mercer's plan though his reasoning behind it was still a mystery. She thought he'd been trying to cause a rift between them and at this rate he was certainly succeeding. "Then, I suppose I was," she replied quietly, but honestly.

"I'd thought you were better than that, Kat," said Norrington while turning from her in disappointment. "I thought I could trust you." After a pause he called to the sailors, "Excuse me men! Would you let me out of here?" A pair of navy grunts came down the stairs and unlocked the door to let the now depressed and disappointed James free.

"You can trust me! Mercer described it differently than it happened! I was just trying to be honest with you," said Kat as she slumped down against the wall.

"Excuse me sir," spoke up one of the sailors. "Aren't those yours?" He pointed to the Letters of Marque which were visible hanging out of the front of Kat's coat. She glanced down and noticed the leather case.

"No," she whispered under her breath. "I didn't mean to James!" She grabbed the case and pushed it between the bars. "Here have them. I didn't want them. I swear!" Norrington took the letters as his green eyes became as cold as jade.

"I can't believe I fell for it," he said as he walked up the stairs with the pair of men. The clicks of their boots faded into the distance and soon Kat was left alone with only the creaks of the ship and the slosh of water to sooth her.

Tears dripped unabated from her eyes as she tried in vain to wipe them away. Her body curled itself into the fetal position as she sat and cried her eyes out. Mercer had won this round, but she was not going to allow this to continue. She was going to gain James' trust again and she would do it with a determination like no other.

"We'll be friends again," she whispered to the empty air. "Yes, friends." For hours these words were repeated over and over echoing throughout the room until finally Kat fell asleep. Her dreams also reflected these thoughts. Her memories of Norrington became the basis for a strange series of vignettes.

A loud jarring noise caused Kat to open her eyes to the golden light of day. She could see a vague figure banging at the bars of her cell. "James?" she questioned hopefully, but when her vision cleared she only saw a sailor with a bowl of dried fish and hard bread.

"Sorry Miss, but Mr. Norrington's not seeing anyone. He didn't even eat his breakfast this morning. He seems pretty out of sorts," said the sailor as he set the bowl down. Then he grabbed a tankard of grog and gave that to her as well.

"Thanks for the food," she said with downcast eyes.

"No problem. It is my job after all," replied the sailor kindly.

"Um, would you mind telling me if there's any change in Mr. Norrington's behavior?"

"Not at all Miss. I'm obliged to treat a lady well."

"I'm no lady." Kat shook her head sadly at that thought. Oh she was certainly no lady at all.

"I'm sorry lad! Everyone was callin' you a lady and so I thought I was just saying the right thing and all—" said the flustered sailor.

"Oh, not like that!" She couldn't help, but giggle a bit at the sailor's confusion. "No, I'm a girl I just don't deserve the title of lady."

"I see. Well that clears things up then," replied the relieved sailor. "Where are my manners? I haven't even told ye my name. I'm Daniel Smith, naval deckhand."

"And I'm Katherine Vusan also known as Kat."

"Pleasure to meet you Kat even if it isn't in the best of circumstances."

"And it's a pleasure for me as well." With that Kat began to scarf down her morning meal. She was quite hungry since she hadn't had dinner last night. It still felt good to be eating something besides coconuts.

"I'll be going then. Just call if you need anything," said Daniel before climbing the stairs to the deck. She nodded at his words and continued to eat. During her breakfast she contemplated what she could do to help James. She wouldn't be permitted to go see him and he probably wouldn't want to see her anyway. The only other way she could think of to contact him would be through writing.

Therefore after her breakfast Kat called Daniel and asked for some paper and a quill. He provided her with these and soon she was writing up a letter of apology. In this she explained why she'd been pick-pocketing and exactly what she had done. She wrote out her conversation with Mercer to the best of her memory and repeated several times how sorry she was. Finally, she wrote that she hadn't been faking her words or actions throughout their time together. She really did care for him and she just hoped they could at least be friends again. Kat signed her name and blew on the ink to help it dry. Then, she folded it into thirds and handed the paper to Daniel.

"Please deliver that to Mr. Norrington. Tell him to at least read over it before her burns it," she said. "And try to avoid telling him who it's from. I don't think he'll really want to read anything from me right now."

The sailor nodded and gave her a sympathetic smile before leaving once more. Kat sat in her cell and hoped that James would read her letter and understand what had happened. Otherwise this whole journey would become pointless. She would be friendless in a world where friends could make all the difference.


	13. Chapter 13: Letters, Hugs, and Spying

**Author's Note:** Wow, it's been a while. I'm sorry I haven't updated in... four weeks! It didn't seem like that long. Well, there are a few excuses I've got, but they really only work for the first two weeks. Our computer was down for about nine days so I couldn't write then and the next week we got a Wii so I was more focused on that than writing. Third week I did have about half the chapter down on paper, but I didn't type it and finally today I finished typing the whole thing. I can't believe I'd planned to be done with DMC by May. It's July and we're still not there, but anyway on to more important business. I'm going to be taking a hiatus soon because of my family vacation and the fact that I want to get some ideas down on paper. During this I'm hoping to write up a couple of chapters and get a solid outline set up for the rest of the story. But don't worry you'll get at least one more chapter before then. Whew! Alright now get on to reading more about Kat and James. Hopefully I'll be more punctual next week.

* * *

The dull, dingy blankets stirred as the foot beneath them twitched to life. James was awake, again. Mossy green irises remained obscured for a few moments before they focused upon the raw wooden ceiling. A frustrated sigh drifted lazily from Norrington's lips as he realized he was no longer unconscious. Sleep had been rather elusive and every time it had admitted him to the world of dreams Kat plagued his mind. It seemed impossible for him to let her go. But this was just silly of him. He'd known her for perhaps a month and already this girl had inserted herself deep within his psyche.

"Dammit," James muttered as he turned over to press his face into the rough fabric. "It's impossible, damned impossible." Kat was inexplicably stuck in his mind and he had no idea how to remove her. How had he forgotten Elizabeth? It had taken him a good while, but he was over her. What had been the secret that allowed him to move on?

After pondering this for several minutes Norrington came to a conclusion, work. He had completely focused on capturing Jack Sparrow and not on her. Therefore if he focused on work once more he could be rid of Kat! "Brilliant," thought James as he formed a plan. He would throw himself mind, body, and soul into whatever work Beckett gave him. Then, he would be much too busy to mope over Kat or even think about her. A slight smile stole over Norrington's lips as he congratulated himself on his new plan. He then promised himself that no matter what Beckett had him doing he would do his very best at it.

There was, in fact, only one issue James could pinpoint in this strategy. He had no work to do right now. Sadly that meant he'd have to suffer through the travel to Port Royal, but once they arrived it wouldn't take long for Beckett to give him something to do. At least he hoped so.

The loud, sharp noise of three knocks at his door roused Norrington from his musings. He shoved the blankets aside and rose to walk to the door. His stocking feet made no noise as they padded across the wooden floor. He swung the door open as his stomach grumbled. Planning always made him feel better and now he was starving.

"What's for lunch?" James asked the sailor who'd knocked on his door.

"Bread, fish, and rum, sir, but that's actually not why I'm here," said the young man. "Of course if you'd like some food I'd be happy to get you some."

"I'd appreciate that, but why are you here then?" asked Norrington.

"Oh, right! Well, um, there's a letter for you, sir," the sailor said nervously as he proffered a somewhat dirty piece of paper toward him.

"For me? But no one knows I'm here," replied James, but it didn't take long for him to realize who had written it. "No," he said flatly. "I don't want to hear some whore's excuses as to why she played with an innocent man's feelings."

"But, sir, she seems really genuinely sorry. She was crying for hours last night and she made me promise to make you read it. Would you just glance over it?" the deckhand pleaded.

After a short period of contemplation during which his hurt self and his wish for all to be repaired battled James decided to take the letter. He reminded the deckhand about his lunch and then sat back down upon the blankets.

In his hands lay either the redemption he craved or another lie to ensnare him. Should he ignore his instincts and read it? Or would that just make everything worse? He didn't know and, frankly, didn't care. All he wanted was for this issue to disappear with the least amount of harm to himself. The fastest way to do this would be to ignore Kat, but he knew she'd probably be persistent about contacting him. Perhaps he ought to read it. Then, he could decide whether she was genuine or not. Her words could be used to fuel a vendetta against her or a rekindling of their relationship.

"Then, it's decided," James thought with determined finality. He pinched one corner of the page between his thumb and forefinger and peeled back the top third of the letter. Another finger slid beneath the lower flap so the entirety of the letter was exposed. With one last, deep breath Norrington dived into Kat's words, for better or for worse.

"_James,_

_I know you're hurt and I'm sorry to be part of the cause. All I ask is that you read this through so you know my side of the story. If, after my explanation, you still feel like avoiding me I'll accept that. I hope we can be friends again and that you'll be able to forgive me. I truly am sorry."_

"She seems genuine so far," thought James with trepidation. Maybe Kat really was sorry. His heart softened as he considered that she really might not have deserved such treatment. "But why would Mercer say what he did?" With this question in mind he continued to read.

"_First, I must tell you that Mercer blew things way out of proportion. Though I did flirt and pickpocket a handful of men it was the first and only time I have done so. I only stole a cutlass and a few pistols. I simply needed to defend myself. Mercer evidently had been following me for a while. He snuck up behind me and restrained my hands while grabbing the pistol I'd been carrying. He warned me against using my 'feminine wiles' to achieve my ends and told me to learn to fight like a man. Then, he shot me creating the bullet wound on my right arm. Mercer then taunted me about dying from "that pathetic wound" before tossing the pistol down and walking away."_

James' mouth dropped open. So it was Mercer who had harmed her? "That bastard!" he thought angrily. But why would he do it? Mercer had no reason to let Kat live and no reason to try and sabotage their relationship. Even if that hadn't been his intention why would Beckett's man warn him? There had to something going on behind the scenes. The question then became who was hiding something? Was Kat intentionally leaving out a vital part of the truth that would explain everything? Or did Mercer have a secret neither of them knew about? Questions swirled and mixed within his muddled brain as he read the last third of the page.

"_That's what actually happened. I was not 'flirting up a storm'. Also the issue with the Letters of Marque was merely a fluke. I would have no use for them anyway since you had already presented them to Mercer. I only picked them up because you had knocked them to the floor. I'd planned to return them to you, but in all the confusion and with our fight I completely forgot. I hope you can find a place within your heart to forgive me. If not, I wish you the greatest luck in your future._

_Your Former Friend,_

_Katherine Vusan"_

"Oh, Kat," thought James. "You poor thing." She seemed so very sorry and quite regretful. Her emotions were expressed clearly, though perhaps a bit too politely to have been given free reign. He just had this instinct that Kat really was being honest. "I don't know how she does it," Norrington muttered as he shook his head with a smile. "That girl." He stood up, dropped the letter to his bed, and then marched toward the door. It was high time for him to make-up with Kat. James pulled the door open which caused it to hit the wall with a bang. A shocked sailor stood just over the threshold, his hands full with food.

"Um, sir?" the man questioned.

"Just leave the food here," answered Norrington. "I've got a girl to talk to." With these words he walked past the sailor who smiled and muttered some encouraging words to James. He quickly set the food just inside the room and closed the door before moving to follow Norrington down to Kat's cell.

When they got there he unlocked the door and said, "There's someone here to see you Kat."

James moved into the doorway and stopped to look at Kat's disheveled form. Her long hair was tangled and hanging in front of her face which was staring sadly toward the floor. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and she sat dejectedly against the wall. Her arms securely enclosed her knees which kept her packed into a compact ball. She was unnoticeable if you weren't looking for her, but James was. He most certainly was.

Kat lifted her head and her hair parted naturally away from her face revealing red-rimmed eyes and tear-stained cheeks. She froze as she took in Norrington's appearance. He had… Come back? Her letter had worked? A large grin broke out over Kat's previously saddened face.

"James!" she exclaimed excitedly as she took the few steps necessary to reach him. She flung her arms around his neck with great force and pressed her face into his neck.

"Hello, Kat," Norrington replied as he lost his balance for a second. Once he'd regained it he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair. "I'm sorry," he whispered into her curls.

"No, I'm sorry," she replied while taking in his scent. She had missed that along with the rest of him. Though they'd only been separated for a day it seemed like so much longer. She was so happy that he was back and from his reaction he'd forgiven her, but it couldn't hurt to ask. "So am I forgiven?"

"Yes, yes you are," he replied as his glance moved to the helpful sailor still standing nearby. "Could we have some privacy?" Kat looked up to see who he was talking to and gave Daniel a grin. She mouthed a 'thanks' at him with a smile.

"Oh, of course. Sorry to intrude," Daniel said. He gave Kat a wink and walked away to leave the pair alone.

When the sound of his footsteps faded James pulled away from Kat. His face was serious now instead of glad. She wondered just what was so important for him to say right this minute.

"I have to ask you Kat," he began. "Did you leave anything important out of you letter?"

The girl was inclined to immediately say no, but because the question seemed so important she thought about it carefully. "I'm pretty sure I told you everything," she said though she was still trying to think of something she may have left out.

"Alright. I was wondering since I don't see why Mercer would bother telling me that about you. He has no reason to care about my well-being, but there also isn't any reason for him to try to ruin our relationship."

"You have a point." His musings had turned a heart-warming moment into a cold thought process which Kat was kind of regretting. She knew that Mercer's reasoning could be very important, but right now she didn't want to think about Mercer. She wanted to have her little reunion with James.

"Speaking of Mercer, I've got to do something to avenge his actions against you," said Norrington thoughtfully.

"What!?" Kat looked fearfully at James knowing that doing something against Mercer would be one of the stupidest things he could ever do. In fact, he'd probably die. Besides that hurting her it would also throw off the films since there would be no one to save Elizabeth in _At World's End_. Her breathing sped up as she panicked about somehow ruining her favorite series of movies.

"Whoa, calm down. I was just kidding." He looked worried about her little freak out session, but soon enough she calmed down and there was nothing more to worry about. "Though it does annoy me that he shot you."

"Well, I did deserve it in a way and it made me realize just what I was doing," she said.

"You didn't deserve it, but all the same I won't do anything to bother Mercer. We do need him after all."

"Good," Kat replied and she snuggled into his chest once more. "I missed you, you know."

"I missed you too, Kat," said James with a smile. "I suppose everything turned out alright."

"Yes, I believe it did," she said as her words were muffled by his coat.

"A little too well," thought Mercer as he observed the pair through a helpful peephole. "I'll have to reconcile that although I'm sure Lord Beckett will have a few ideas." With those thoughts he walked away leaving the pair none the wiser.


	14. Chapter 14: Fighting Sucks

**Author's Note: **So off I go on vacation. Remember there'll be a hiatus for probably three weeks after this. Sorry about rushing this, but I've got to get going! Also I meant to include a little more in the ending, but I simply don't have time to type it. Reviews are always appreciated!

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Kat woke with a grin on her face despite the "naked" feeling she had. Not because she was unclothed, but because there was no one lying beside her. Yesterday had been the same way. Those days of sleeping with plenty of men in hammocks nearby and a few of having James' arms around her had caused her to become used to sleeping with others. Actually James could've slept with her last night, but it probably would've been more awkward than comforting after how the rest of the night had gone.

Though Kat was happy to have been reunited with Norrington she was a bit disappointed in the change their relationship had gone through due to their fight. After their warm reunion they had sat down to talk together as they used to do. However the conversation had been different than usual. Instead of the words flowing freely and easily there had been several awkward silences and all too many empty words. It was odd for the two of them. They'd never had a problem with conversation before and even silences had been comfortable ones. These facts made the issue far more dramatic and noticeable. Kat hated it, but there really wasn't anything either of them could do. They were both too afraid of starting up a new conflict with an unwelcome topic so they stayed in the few safe waters of conversation.

"If only things were back to normal," she thought. "Though I suppose time should help and when we get back James will have a job to do so we probably would've suffered through his time away even more if we hadn't gone through this." Kat knew she was just trying to find a good side to this mess and admittedly she had done a decent job, but even that wasn't enough to make her feel like this was a positive situation. To put it simply, it sucked. These negative thoughts pulled the smile right off her face as she continued to lay there hoping something good might happen.

- - -

"Land ho!"

That sudden exclamation startled Kat from her dozing. She sat straight up much too quickly which caused her to feel a bit dizzy. "What's going on?" she asked with evident confusion in her tone.

Daniel grinned and replied perkily to her question. "We've almost arrived at Port Royal! Just another hour and we'll be back on land." He was obviously excited so much so that he was bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Why're you so eager to get back?" she asked him. Daniel was a fairly young sailor though he did seem experienced. She wouldn't judge him to be a day over twenty-five, but he'd always seemed rather mature before now so what had caused this sudden change in attitude?

"Is it that obvious?" He blushed as his voice became weaker with nervousness. "Well, I've got a girl there—"

"You do?" Kat asked not in surprise, but in excitement for him. "Lucky you, Dan! What's her name? Tell me about her." She was strangely excited about this bit of news. Though over the short time she'd been on the ship she'd come to see Daniel as a good guy and one worth trusting, so now she was curious to learn more about him and she'd just gotten the chance.

"You're interested?" he asked with pleasant surprise. Most sailors didn't want to hear another story about how anyone missed their girl back home. After all, such stories would become quite repetitive after a while since most men had someone back home to long for.

"Well, yeah. You know a lot more about me than I know about you so I wouldn't mind evening out the playing field a bit," Kat answered him good-naturedly. She patted the cot beside her in offering of the space for his use. Daniel took the invitation and sat down beside her before pausing nervously. Kat decided to help him out a bit. "So what's this girl's name?"

"Molly Douglas, she works in one of the Company's stations as a maid—"

"The company?" asked Kat in confusion.

"The East India Trading Company," Daniel replied as if she was a bit daft for not knowing.

"Oh, right," she said like she'd known all along. "So, um, are you two married?"

His face colored in embarrassment before he answered. "Well, not yet."

Kat squealed in happiness for her friend. "Are you planning to ask her?"

"Once I've got enough funds to get her a nice house and all set up. We're both still going to have to work, but I'd like to give her a better place to stay once we're married." The sailor's face was still reddened in nervousness, but he seemed happy about this idea.

"That's so sweet Daniel! You've thought about this a lot haven't you?" Without waiting for an answer she went on, "I'd help if I could, but I'm afraid I don't have a cent to my name."

"A cent?" he asked in confusion.

"I mean a shilling!" Kat corrected herself quickly. She was so used to modern terms that she'd said the wrong one which wasn't exactly surprising, but she didn't want to have to come up with some explanation for why she'd said such a thing.

"Ah. Well, I just hope Molly's still waiting for me." Daniel's face took on a thoughtful expression which Kat interpreted to mean that he was thinking about Molly. She decided to let him remain in his thoughts as she muddled through her own.

Luckily he'd ignored the fact that she'd used the word cent. Whether it was due to disinterest or her obvious panic after she'd used the word he'd chosen not to pursue it which she was thankful for. When she conversed with Daniel it was so easy, like it'd been with James before their fight. Kat's face crumpled as she thought about their argument again.

"What's wrong? Did I say something to upset you?" Daniel asked concernedly. He placed a friendly arm around her shoulders while observing her face closely.

"Oh, it's not you. I was just reminded of something else," Kat replied avoiding the subject. The sailor respected her wishes and left her cell locking the door as he went.

"I'll be back soon to bring you to Company headquarters alright?" he said quietly before leaving the area. Kat remained on her cot still thinking about the fight. Everything was resolved, but that didn't make it hurt less. Things weren't the same and so she couldn't be happy like she was before. They had been reduced to acquaintances by a mere mistake. Or perhaps it was a purposeful attack on their relationship.

Kat had gone over this before. She'd agonized over whether and why Mercer would try to sabotage them and came up with nothing. She had no need to think through the same ideas all over again. It didn't matter anyway. He'd succeeded. Things had changed. Even if they weren't completely avoiding each other she and James were certainly having troubles. "Damn it," she thought as she gave up on fixing everything. It wasn't going to happen. They were going to have troubles and she couldn't fix it. She couldn't frickin' fix it and it was all Mercer's fault. Which made it Beckett's fault right? Suddenly a new idea washed over Kat. She was going to give Beckett living hell for what he'd done. He'd regret his actions before this was over.

- - -

The steady rhythm of the sailors' boots had caught Kat's attention. The men walked in such perfect coordination that it seemed impossible, but she figured with practice it wouldn't be overly difficult. She wasn't the most rhythmic person. She enjoyed music and could sing decently, but she was horrible at playing musical instruments. Synchronized movements were also difficult when you had a tendency to move to fast or too slow.

It was a short trip to Beckett's office. She was standing beside James and walking at about the pace as he was. Neither of them had spoken, but of course the two men pushing them forward impatiently probably wouldn't have taken kindly to conversation. They were now making their way down a hallway toward a fine wooden door which was probably the way into Beckett's office. Kat wasn't quite ready for this confrontation. Mercer had said that she wouldn't be freed, but what would happen to her then? Was she to remain a prisoner for the rest of her life? She _had _associated with pirates, but that couldn't mean she'd be jailed forever. A hanging was more likely though it seemed like a silly response to her "crime". Of course she did know that Beckett hadn't worried about that in At World's End and he probably wouldn't now.

"I'm screwed," Kat thought as the door was pushed open. Mercer entered the room first followed by his two prisoners. She disliked having the man beside her gripped her arm so tightly, but she couldn't do much about it. Hopefully Beckett would send both the guards away instead of just James'. Then, conversation began and Kat was distracted from her own worries.

"The last of our ships has returned," Mercer said calmly, beginning the exchange.

"Is there any news of the chest?" Beckett asked him with well-disguised frustration or perhaps just plain boredom.

"None, but one of the ships did pick up a pair adrift at sea, a man and a girl. He had these." Mercer held up the case containing the letters before setting it on to the desk before him. Beckett opened them and looked inside though this action was really just a confirmation of what he already knew. Yes, the Letters of Marque were there.

Kat meanwhile was a bit angry with Mercer for calling her a girl. She wasn't that young! There were plenty of boys half her age out there on the seas so why did she have to be a girl? Then, James spoke up, interrupting her thoughts.

"I took the liberty of filling in my name," he said to catch the lord's attention. Kat wondered when he had done that, but she figured it didn't matter. It was probably when they were fighting anyway.

Beckett gestured for James to approach and waved both guards away. Kat relaxed once she had control over her own body and leaned up against one of the walls of the office. Meanwhile Norrington stepped toward the desk, listening to the lord's words. "If you intend to claim these, then you must have something to trade. Do you have the compass?"

"Better," James replied with a grin as he dropped a pulsing bag on to the desk. "The heart of Davy Jones." A short period of silence encompassed the next few minutes as Beckett raised a slightly impressed eyebrow.

"Oh, really?" he asked as he reached for the pouch and opened it. "So it is true." He held the beating organ in the palm of his hand and stroked it with surprising gentleness.

"Is that good enough for privateer?" Norrington asked.

"I think we can do better than that, Admiral Norrington," replied Beckett while still staring at the heart. "Yes, a bit better…"


	15. Chapter 15: Beckett Plots and Kat Rebels

**Author's Note: **Well, hello anyone who still happens to read this. It's been ages since I posted for a couple of reasons: school, I didn't have this typed, and I'm not quite as POTC obsessed as before. However, with any luck it won't be six months before I post again. (Damn that's a long time... Sorry!) Though I have no idea what's happening in the next chapter I hope I'll get it up within four weeks. Wish me luck! Also I hope you enjoy the chapter and please review if you'd care to.

* * *

A moment's silence encased the quartet before James spoke up. "I'm… an admiral?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes, now let's move on to this girl shall we?" Beckett said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Mr. Mercer, if you would." At his employer's command Mercer walked over to Kat and grabbed her roughly by the arm. He began to drag her forward, but she wrenched her arm out of his grasp.

"I know how to walk," she said as she moved to stand beside Norrington. "You wanted me Mr. Beckett?" Kat said cheekily, purposefully using the wrong title.

"_Lord_ Beckett," began Mercer, "Requests that you recite your name and why you were with Mr. Norrington for a month on Jack Sparrow's ship and how you two ended up in the ocean with Davy Jones' heart." He placed a derisive emphasis on 'requests' which indicated that the Lord would have his answer one way or another.

Beckett's eyebrows had risen in the meantime at the information Mercer had included in his question. This must have been the girl who owned the silver contraption. He had wondered why his preferred agent would have bothered bringing this girl along, but now he understood. Mercer had been right to do so. He needed to keep her from the hangman's noose long enough to find out just what that strange object was.

"My name is Katherine Vusan. I'm a Virgo who enjoys long walks in the park and watching sunsets," Kat began using the cliché dating introduction.

"You're a constellation?" asked James.

"I meant the zodiac, although I wouldn't exactly expect you to be the sort of man to know about those, James. They aren't exactly reliable," Kat replied.

Beckett made a mental note to research this zodiac which he remembered hearing about somewhere before. His tone of voice seemed both bored and arrogant at the same time as he said, "I don't believe I asked for that Miss Vusan, but I do recall wanting your story." Blue-gray eyes pierced into Kat's brown ones like steel through mahogany.

Though she was slightly unnerved by his stare she still managed to reply, "Of course Lord Beckett," while spitting out the word 'lord' like it was utterly revolting. Then, she told her tale while avoiding mention of her interesting relationship with James and her inexperience with weapons and ships.

Cutler wasn't particularly surprised at the tale. The battle for the key and multiple confusions were somewhat amusing, but the story didn't matter much. "You have engaged in activities which advanced the movements of pirates. Association with pirates constitutes a hanging so you will be held in prison until the time of your execution arrives," he said with obvious boredom.

"What!? But she didn't commit piracy!" shouted James in protest. However he quickly composed himself and raced to come up with a plan. "I forced her aboard," he finally said. "It was my—" Kat's hand clapped firmly over Norrington's lips muffling his next words.

"Would you excuse us?" she asked and without waiting for an answer she dragged James toward one corner of the room. "Quit being a martyr!" she whispered. "Mercer knows I came of my own free will so I can't get out of this." Kat looked up at James' worried face and told him, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It was good while it lasted," he replied before wrapping his arms around her waist. Kat hugged him back and squeezed her eyes shut to keep her tears away. The inevitability of her death was suddenly crystal clear. When she had originally planned to stay on the island with James she hadn't even thought about what would happen to her. It was obvious now that she would be hanged; there wasn't any other option.

As Kat and Norrington returned to their places Cutler was contemplating how he wanted to continue. Evidently Mercer's attempts to sabotage their relationship had failed which meant his new admiral would not make it easy for him to use all possible methods of extortion on Kat. A mental sigh of slight irritation floated through his mind. This would be more difficult, but he would succeed in getting what he wanted. Being ruthless had its advantages. "Are you two finished?" Beckett asked.

"Yes, we are," Kat replied firmly.

"Then, Mercer would you get one of the officers to take Kat to the cells?"

"You can't just put her in a cage with a bunch of horny pirates!" exclaimed James. Kat's eyes widened at the implication behind Norrington's words. She was quite certain that she didn't want to go to the cells.

"Hmmm… I suppose even a pirate sympathizer deserves a better fate than that. Fine, Mr. Mercer get one of the maids to clean out Lieutenant Groves' new office. Put one of the prison cots in there and a tub for bathing." Beckett wrinkled his nose at the smell of the two seafarers before adding, "Perhaps a change of clothes would also be prudent." Mercer left the room to do as his master commanded while James let out a sigh of relief. Kat, however, was surprised. This seemed like more courtesy than was warranted, particularly for Beckett. Since she knew he always had a motive Kat was certain that something else was going on, but what she could not determine.

"Lucky for you Mr. Norrington your home has not yet been sold. It is still completely intact as far as I know so you may return there. Enjoy your trip," Cutler said in dismissal. James nodded in reply and with a final glance at Kat he left for home. Mercer returned just after Norrington's exit and gave his master a nod.

"Things are prepared for you Miss Vusan. Please return here once you've bathed. You will have a constant companion since you are still a prisoner and will be expected to stay in your room. An escape attempt would be ill-advised with all the soldiers around here so I would suggest that you obey orders," Beckett said before adding," Mr. Mercer will take you to your room now." Then, he turned to observe the port which was visible behind him.

Kat was suspicious of the Lord's intentions, but a bath sounded wonderful. Anyway she'd figure out what was going on soon enough. So she followed Mercer to a room which obviously had only been completed recently. "I suppose I'm stealing a new office," the girl thought while observing the blank walls and, as of yet, unfinished floors. It was small, but large enough for a desk and a few chairs. One window lit up the entire room with Caribbean sunlight. At the moment a small cot and a tin bathtub occupied the space in the room.

"Excuse me, miss, but you'll want to bathe before the water gets cold."

Kat jumped as a soft voice spoke up behind her. Evidently this girl had entered and Mercer had left while she had been busy making her observations. "Oh," Kat began, "Yes, but do you mind my asking why you're here?"

"Why, I'm a maid here, miss. I'm supposed to take your clothes for you and get you some new ones," the blonde replied.

"Hadn't expected a maid," muttered Kat while undressing. Beckett continued to get more and more suspicious with his actions. But what preoccupied her more was undressing in front of a virtual stranger. To distract herself she asked, "What's your name?"

"Caroline," the soft-spoken girl replied as she stacked the discarded clothing in her arms.

'I'm Katherine, but feel free to call me Kat. May I call you Carrie?" continued the now naked girl. She lowered herself into the warm water and groaned happily.

"Certainly, miss, but are you sure you want me to call you by your first name?" Carrie asked as she grabbed the rest of the dirty outfit.

"Of course. You're no servant to me, Carrie, especially since I'm a prisoner," Kat answered while scrubbing the caked on dirt and sweat off her body. The water melted the grime away which made her feel cleaner than she had in a month. "I missed baths," she thought as her eyelids fluttered in pleasure.

Meanwhile Carrie had blushed at Kat's comment. Most everyone, no matter their class, looked down on servants. The thieves saw them as subservient fools and they were on the lowest rung of the working class. Kat's odd outlook brought a smile to the blonde's face as she said, "I'll be back to help you wash in a moment." Then, she left the room to bring the stained clothing to the laundry.

Kat jumped when Carrie spoke; she'd forgotten about the maid's presence. "Help me?" she thought, "That'll be awkward." This type of care was definitely not something she was used to and, frankly, she was once again surprised by it. Beckett was being far too kind for his character which meant he must have some other agenda. Admittedly, it was somewhat scary, but Kat was clueless about what the lord could possibly want. Since it seemed highly unlikely that she'd ever figure it out she figured she would just enjoy her bath while she could. Soon, Carrie returned with a bar of soap and a pile of clothing.

"Excuse me, but is that a dress? And a corset?" Kat asked with trepidation.

"Why, yes. What else would it be? You are in civilization after all, Kat," Carrie answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, though she did hesitate to use the other girl's name.

"I'd personally prefer some breeches and a shirt if you wouldn't mind. So could you possibly procure some?"

"Well, um, yes I suppose so." The maid rushed back out of the room, but left the soap behind. She walked nervously at doing something she had not been ordered to do, but Kat had asked nicely. Carrie was just passing Lord Beckett's office when his pretentious voice floated out into the hallway.

"You there," he commanded. "Why are you returning those clothes?"

"Oh, uh, Miss Katherine wanted breeches, sir," Carrie answered quietly while staring resolutely at her nervously shifting feet.

"Go tell her that she is wearing that dress," the lord replied with an icy glare.

"Of course, sir," the blonde answered quickly as she scurried back to the office Kat had been given. When she entered she found Kat already out of the now sudsy water and drying herself on the provided towel. "Um, Kat, Lord Beckett says you are to wear the dress."

Kat frowned as she pulled her face out of the towel and began drying her hair. "Can't have that now can we?" she muttered as she continued her task. Meanwhile Carrie was biting her lip in anticipation and wondering what she ought to be doing. Soon, Kat nodded her head as if she had decided something and said, "Hand me the shift will you, Carrie?" The blonde acquiesced and passed over the thin underdress which Kat held out to observe. "Not short enough," she muttered as she tore off the bottom of the piece and then the arms. The maid stared in horror as Kat pulled on the dress which was almost sheer and marched toward the door.

"You can't go out like that!" Carrie shouted in fear for her new friend's reputation.

"I can and I will," Kat replied rebelliously while exiting the office and walking down the hall. Multiple soldiers stopped to stare or took a second look at her. Though such an outfit wouldn't get a second glance in her own time Kat's sleeveless ensemble which ended above her knee was terribly scandalous in the 18th century. "Not like you've never seen it before," the girl muttered as she walked proudly toward Beckett's office. A few wolf whistles announced her entry to the room and Cutler was quick to turn so he might reprimand the out of line soldiers. However the sight of a virtually naked, for the period, woman stopped him mid-word.

"This is probably the first time you've been speechless, eh Beckett?" Kat commented as she placed an attitude-laden hand on her hip.

The lord cleared his throat before asking, "Exactly why are you wearing that? It isn't appropriate at all."

"Since you seem to believe that I'm going to wear a dress I figured I ought to wear something that at least makes me somewhat comfortable," the girl answered. "I can move at least a little in this."

"Well, you'll have to go put on the actual dress you're meant to wear because this can't continue."

"Why not? I'm perfectly fine with wearing this attire. It may be a bit distracting, but that's not my problem." Cutler was about to respond when Kat continued, "However if I could have some breeches and a shirt I'd be perfectly happy to wear those as well." She finished her words with a saccharine smile that mocked Beckett's inevitable defeat.

With a mental sigh Cutler decided he had no choice. He needed his men to be focused and this small episode would distract them let alone days like this. "Fine, get her some different clothes," the lord commanded to Carrie who had just entered the room. The maid rushed off to do as told while Kat paraded back to her cell with a victorious grin plastered across her face.


End file.
